Education and qualifications

Full-time, compulsory education up to the age of 11 or 12. Primary schools are increasingly looking at ways that they can support environmental learning and encourage pupils to get involved with nature. Charities often get involved to support this work. For example, the Great Big School Clean is just one of the initiatives run by Keep Britain Tidy.

Full-time, compulsory education from the ages of 11 or 12, through to 16. This is an important time to consider some of the subjects that could lead to a green career. Although there is not one set path, areas such as geography, sciences and maths can be a requirement, depending on what role you want to go into. Organisations such as the World Wildlife Fund work with secondary schools to support the development of sustainability skills and knowledge.

Qualifications vary across the UK and include GCSEs and Scottish Nationals. Students traditionally take a wide variety of subjects. You can enter a green job with a range of subject areas; however, those which typically relate to the green agenda include Geography, Geology, Sciences, Business, Maths and Sociology. A new Natural History GCSE will be introduced by 2025.

Refers to any studies taken after compulsory education (post-16), which isn’t classed as higher education (see below). The level of study varies depending on the course, and learning typically takes place through colleges, secondary schools or private training providers and can be either full-time or part-time study.

Qualifications vary across the UK and courses range in subject area, and can be both vocational and academic. They may include A levels, T levels, Scottish Highers, NVQs, SVQs and BTECs, as well as several independent courses developed by awarding bodies. Some schools also offer the International Baccalaureate.

Subject areas therefore range significantly, from science and environmental science, to engineering, agriculture or horticulture. Green jobs often require both technical and academic skills, so it is important to consider all the options available. Some education providers and awarding bodies have started to highlight green qualifications within their portfolios and there is an increasing focus on sustainability.

• Education and Training Foundation: list of available qualifications that have sustainability as their primary topic
• Case study: Find out how FE providers are working in the sustainability space

In the UK, from the age of 18 (17 in Scotland) onwards, many people choose to enter higher education. As well as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, higher education also includes other level 4 or 5 courses such as Higher National Certificates/Diplomas, or SVQs and NVQs.

Higher education allows students to further their studies, develop new skills, and understand more about their future career options. There are a wide variety of choices available within higher education, with both vocational and academic qualifications, and different academic pathways, including degrees, diplomas and degree-level apprenticeships.

Higher education can be undertaken at colleges or universities and an increasing number of courses are focusing on, or including, environment or sustainability content. These can range from degrees which focus solely on green content, for example environmental sciences or environmental management, to courses which are more interdisciplinary but incorporate aspects of green thinking, such as geography or engineering.

• The UCAS website is a great place to explore different courses, universities and education routes, including information on student finance in the UK
• The People and Planet League can be a great way of understanding how sustainable each UK university is