What about Environment & Agriculture?

The global market for environmental goods and services is currently valued at a staggering $600 billion. In the UK, the environmental industry currently employs over 400,000 people across 17,000 companies.

The sector is expanding rapidly as awareness of green issues increases and new regulations come into force, so there is no shortage of opportunities available to those with an interest in the environment. The UK’s environmental market is forecast to grow from £25 billion in 2005 to £46 billion by 2015, supporting an abundance of new jobs.

Moving into the future this industry sector will be vital to sustaining all of our communities, whether focussed on sustaining farming and land management, developing rural businesses, improving the environment, ensuring animal health and welfare or managing our open spaces.

Some of the challenges facing this sector are daunting. Forecasters are expecting our global population to increase to 8 billion within 20 years. If this prediction proves accurate then the environment and agriculture industry will need to meet our soaring demands – not an easy task considering the difficulties we face on combating climate change, the pollution of our water supplies and the increasing erosion of top-soil.

Typical Activities

At the core of the environmental and land-based sector is land management and production. However, there is also a demand for skilled and creative employees working on:

Producing crops ranging from cereals and vegetables to energy crops
Learning about animals, especially their health and welfare
Helping to develop sustainable practices in land management
Helping firms to design environmental strategies Supplying advice, environmental impact assessments and other services to clients

Getting in

The environment and agriculture sector offers opportunities for everyone. Whatever your age, experience or ambitions, there are qualifications and routes into learning to suit you. You can follow an academic or vocational route, whether you study full or part time, at college or in the workplace.

If you are planning to go to university, subjects such as Environmental Science, Biosciences and Agricultural Engineering will put you in good stead for a job in this sector.

A great profession for people who enjoy the prospect of working with nature

With increasing demands on this sector, employers in agricultural and land-based industries are setting higher and higher standards and expect more of their employees. Students should therefore ensure that whatever course they choose to follow it contains the elements required by their future employers.