Investing in the future of the profession
CIEEM is keen to support those entering the profession by providing opportunities to gain a solid foundation in key areas and also instil good practice and a sense of professional responsibility at an early stage in their career. To address this, CIEEM has developed the ‘Early Careers Training Programme’.
This programme is comprised of 12 days of training for early career Ecologists and Environmental Managers to be taken over an 18-24 month period. This will include a mix of core modules and a range of optional modules for the delegate and employer to choose from based on their interests and specific areas of work.
The programme is limited to just 16 delegates per intake, who will start the programme together by attending a 2-day in-person residential introduction course.
Modules will be delivered by well-established trainers and involve a combination of online, in-person and field-based learning.
Throughout the programme, delegates will be able to network and provide peer-to-peer support to each other, which we hope will continue into their careers.
On completion of the programme, delegates will receive a Certificate of Achievement and an evidence base for submission of a future upgrade of their CIEEM membership to Associate level.
I came away from the training feeling inspired to be an ecologist and more grounded in my knowledge of the sector – Henry
Book onto the October 2024 intake
Who can attend?
The Early Careers Training Programme is open to those who are early career Ecologists and Environmental Managers working across all sectors, CIEEM Members and non-Members. The level of experience required for all the modules will be aimed at beginners.
Benefits of attending
- Investment in your junior staff to help them gain a good foundation in ecology and environmental management
- 12 days of training for £1100
- Valuable on-the-job training to help upskill staff
- High-quality training delivered by well-established trainers
- Delegates will be able to gain basic knowledge and understanding of key themes
- Peer-to-peer support during the programme
- Networking opportunities
- Certificate on completion of the course
My experience of this course has been very positive, helpful, and has been very helpful in confidence building, whilst networking with other young professionals…I feel that for me, this course has helped me to be successful in providing a firm foundation to move forward with my career – Gina
Core and optional modules
The Early Careers Training Programme will feature 7 days of mandatory modules that delegates will attend together, and will involve a blended mix of online, in-person and field-based training.
Core modules |
| Introduction to professional practice, professional ethics, ways of working and communication skills 8 & 9 October 2024 (2 days in-person) – Sue Bell CEcol CEnv FCIEEM – The first module will provide an introduction to the concepts of behaviours and standards that would be consistent with a professional ecologist / environmental manager. The course will look at the CIEEM Code of Professional Practice and also the CIEEM Competency Framework. It will explore the role of laws, standards and guidance in guiding professionalism. |
| Introduction to UK nature conservation legislation 23 & 30 October 2024 (2 half days online) – Dr Alina Congreve & Professor Anthony Gallagher (10:00-13:00) – this module provides an introductory level review of nature conservation legislation, looking at how the current framework translates to practical actions, and considering how effective it is in achieving its aims. Delegates will develop a strong practical understanding of the system of nature conservation governance in England, and how the new laws and policies impact our work on the ground. |
| Introduction to Preliminary Ecological Appraisal 7 & 8 November 2024 (2 half days online) – Mike Dean BSc MSc CEcol CEnv FCIEEM, Director, MD Ecology Limited (09:30-13:00) – this module will focus on providing an introduction to the process of Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEA). The module will equip delegates with an understanding of the purpose of PEA; how to set an appropriate scope of work for PEA in different scenarios; being able to differentiate between PEA and Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA); and to make proportionate recommendations for design changes, further survey, mitigation and enhancement in different scenarios. Please note that this module must be completed before attending the Introduction to Ecological Report Writing course. |
| Introduction to Ecological Report Writing 12 & 13 December 2024 (2 half days online) – Mike Dean BSc MSc CEcol CEnv FCIEEM, Director, MD Ecology Limited (09:30-13:00) – this module will look at how to produce good quality ecological report for species and habitat surveys and PEA. The module will cover a range of topics including: the important of high quality ecological reports and the consequences of poor quality reports; challenges faced in producing ecological reports; the different types of reports, their purposes and target audiences; how to structure the report and what content to include; and top tips on writing a good report. |
| Habitat survey and mapping (including Phase 1 and UK Hab) 20 & 21 May 2025 (2 days in-person) – Paul Losse MCIEEM (Worcester Woods Country Park) – this module provides an introduction to habitat survey and the main principles involved. This includes a look at Phase One habitat survey, mapping protocols, UK Habitat classification survey and field based elements identifying and mapping habitats in the field. At the end of the module delegates will have gained an understanding of: what a habitat survey is and why it is done; the various classification and mapping techniques; how to plan and map a habitat survey; and how to present the results. |
All core modules must be completed. If you are unable to attend a core module date, then do advise the team who will try and book you on another version of the module. If you miss any core modules and have not previously informed CIEEM, then you will need to attend a later version of the module and pay the module fee to attend.
Option modules
In addition to the cores modules, the delegate – with support from their employer – will be required to select 5 modules from the existing CIEEM training programme. These modules will be undertaken as and when the course is available and team at CIEEM will be able to assist with the booking of these. Have a look at the Early Careers Training Programme – Option Modules 2024 you can choose from.
It was really valuable to have conversations with other ecologists about the sort of issues we face as young professionals – Helena
Introduction module
The first 2 days of the programme will be in-person and provide an introduction to being an Ecologist or Environmental Manager, and cover the key skills required for this.
This will provide the cohort of delegates the opportunity to meet each other in person and form a supportive peer-to-peer network that they will be able to develop further during the programme.
The course will be held in October 2024 and it will be a requirement of the programme for all delegates to attend this.
Assessment
Throughout the programme, there will be an assessment of the delegate’s knowledge and understanding of the topics covered through various multiple choice questions. This will be facilitated using the CIEEM Learning Management System for which delegates will be allocated user logins and notified when to undertake the assessment.
Being able to engage with other ecologists from different companies that are working at the same level of me, is valuable to me – Daniel
Please note that there is a limit of 2 delegates per organisation.
Confirmation of booking and payment
Bookings are now open and places will be allocated on a first-come basis.
On booking a delegate place, payment can be made in two stages:
- The first payment will need to be received within 21 days of the date of the invoice.
- The second payment will be required by the time the core modules have been completed and CIEEM will advise you in advance when the payment will be due.
Terms and Conditions
Once a place has been booked, then this is non-refundable and also non-transferable to other delegates/staff in your organisation.
We would encourage employers to have a contract in place with delegates to cover the scenario if the delegates left the organisation or are otherwise unable to continue with the training programme.
All core modules must be completed. If you are unable to attend a core module date, then do advise the team who will try and book you on another version of the module. If you miss any core modules and have not previously informed CIEEM, then you will need to attend a later version of the module and pay the module fee to attend.
When booking on a training course as an option module, CIEEMs booking terms and conditions would apply. If a delegate does not attend an option module they are booked on and have not informed CIEEM that they are unable to attend beforehand, this would count as one of their option modules. To attend a later version of the module, payment of the module fee would be required.
Further information
If you would like further details, then please email training@cieem.net