Step towards a
LAND-BASED CAREER
Love the land? Feel at your best outdoors? Looking for a stepping stone towards a career in the countryside?
Our free rural skills traineeship for 16-25 year-olds living in Highland Perthshire could be your gateway to a future land-based career. Get practical training in a stunning local landscape, achieve industry-recognised vocational qualifications and find space and support among like-minded people.
The Dùn Coillich Rural Skills Training Course is designed to give young people from all walks of life the chance to experience a hands-on, targeted programme tailored to future careers in land management.
Running since 2016, previous trainees have gone on to work in everything from forestry to farming, gamekeeping to conservation – and made friends for life!
You’ll learn everything from all-terrain vehicle (ATV) driving to chainsaw handling, dry stone walling to ropes training – and a huge amount in between. And thanks to funding from the Positive Destinations programme it’s all completely free, giving you chance to follow your heart into a career suited to your skills and interests.
BOOST YOUR CV
Could your CV do with a boost? Walk away with certificates that could open doors…
We design the course to be as practical as possible, with training and assessments leading to nationally-recognised certificates in first aid, responsible pesticide use, brush cutter operation and chainsaw handling. We also include training in tree planting and aftercare, footpath management, fencing and habitat monitoring, and offer a wide range of practical work experience that will deepen your skillset.
You’ll also be able to explore your future options even further, with direct access to partners such as Forestry and Land Scotland and The National Trust for Scotland – as well as local farms, estates and outdoor adventure companies – all eager to give you an insight into the fantastic careers available in the great outdoors. Our course will equip you for a range of land-based careers – and give you a lot of laughs along the way!
COURSE DETAILS
Our Rural Skills Training Course runs part-time for 20 weeks, one or two days a week, and is free to anyone aged 16-25 based in Highland Perthshire.
We offer two intakes a year, one in February and one in August. When applications are open we advertise them on Facebook, local newsletters and our website – or get in touch with Project Officer Heather Hamilton to find out more and express an interest.
Take a closer look at what you’ll learn:
- Emergency Outdoor First Aid (BASP) (1 day)
- Risk Assessment and Site Safety (1 day)
- LANTRA 2 Day Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross-cutting
- LANTRA 2 day Brushcutters/Trimmers – Maintenance and Operation
- LANTRA 2 Day Safe Application of Pesticides Using Handheld Equipment
- LANTRA 2 Day Sit Astride ATV (Novice Operator)
- Ropes Training (1 day)
- Introduction to Dry Stone Walling (2 days)
- Introduction to Woodland and Habitat Management (1 day)
- Tree planting, Aftercare and Maintenance (2 days)
- Introduction to footpath work (2 days)
- Fencing Building, repair and restoration (3 days)
- Habitat and Wildlife Monitoring (2 days)
Funders include The Gannochy Trust, The SSE Griffin and Calliachar Community Fund, the Robertson Trust, the Hugh Fraser Foundation, the Nineveh Trust and the Basil Death Trust – under the Positive Destinations programme. That generous support means we can run this brilliant course for free – and sometimes we can even arrange for transport to Dùn Coillich where the fun begins!
For more information contact
Project Officer Heather Hamilton at
projectofficer@hpclt.org or 07849268411
