Internships, training and jobs

The World Land Trust Internship Programme

Interns gain experience by being involved in all aspects of the running of the Trust. This is Jessica Reiss (Intern May - October 2005) in the World Land Trust Office.

Although internships are a very North American concept, they are becoming a more accepted way of training, and gaining valuable work place skills, in the UK. WLT has been running an Internship Programme since 2000 and we are committed to the development of the conservationists of the future.

The World Land Trust offers six-month unpaid internships based at the WLT office in Suffolk, UK. While contributing to the work of WLT, interns gain valuable experience of project development and conservation management by being involved with real-life day-to-day issues arising in our many overseas projects.

Experience gained

An important aspect of the Internship Programme is assisting with outreach activities. This is Claire Thompson and Charlotte Beckham (interns July - December 2009) with Education, Training and Outreach Officer Kelly Jacobs, talking to the public about WLT's work in Shepreth Wildlife Park, one of the supporters of the Trust's Wild Spaces Programme.

Successful candidates will be offered a six-month placement, during which they will gain hands-on experience of project management, fundraising and general office/administrative skills.

Previous interns have been involved in a variety of activities:

• Hosting overseas project partner visits;
• Shadowing the CEO at meetings in London;
• Assisting with event organisation;
• Evaluating project proposals;
• Writing web page content;
• Drafting press releases;
• Assisting with outreach activities.

Most interns get the chance to visit the Trust's Kites Hill Reserve in Gloucestershire, UK. Here is Kristina Turner (intern September 2008 - February 2009) during a Kites Hill visit.

Training and travel

Interns are offered a training programme individually tailored to equip them to fulfill the role they are performing.  Interns attached to the Projects team may have an opportunity to travel to some of our overseas projects, although this is not guaranteed. However, interns are generally able to accompany WLT staff on visits to the Trust's UK reserve at Kites Hill, Gloucestershire, to learn about practical reserve management.

Who is eligible?

The WLT Internship Programme is designed primarily for graduates, who must be eligible to live and work in the EU. Internships are entirely voluntary, although all costs connected with work, such as travel to meetings and training courses, will be paid for, and some out-of-pocket expenses may be claimed. The intern will therefore be expected to be self-supporting, but it is possible that they will be eligible for housing and other state benefits.

Previous interns

The majority of the previous interns and volunteers with the WLT have subsequently found employment in conservation or related areas. See what previous interns say about the programme.

Internship vacancies

There is no annual start date for interns; internships become available depending on the work, staff to supervise and space available in the WLT office. And we will advertise when we have an opportunity.

There are currently no intern vacancies.

More information about the internship programme

For more information about WLT Internships, download a the Internship Booklet as a PDF file:

Internship Booklet (247KB) (opens in new window)
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Diploma course in Conservation and Project Administration

You may also be interested in the Graduate Diploma Course in Conservation and Project Administration, created by the University of East Anglia in collaboration with the World Land Trust.

Job Vacancies

Any available paid positions in the World Land Trust office are posted on our vacancies page.