Ecologist : Training

Training is received on the job and additional courses are available, although new entrants are expected to have basic skills in surveying and identification, which will have been achieved through their degree and previous work experience. 

There are many external training courses which can be completed while working. A number of agencies offer practical skills training, e.g. Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland . The Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM)  has a professional development programme for its members, which includes a large number of courses each year on a range of subjects. It also runs conferences each year on particular topical issues. Members of the British Ecological Society  can obtain funding to attend courses and conferences.

The Field Studies Council (FSC)  hosts a wide range of accredited courses from bird ringing to crayfish monitoring. It also offers a training programme in biological recording skills in collaboration with the Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI)  and the University of Birmingham.

Identification qualifications are also offered by the Natural History Museum . With appropriate experience and qualifications it is possible to become a chartered environmentalist (CEnv) with the Society for the Environment (SocEnv) .