A DOC ranger in the field. Photo: Supplied / DOC
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is launching a new cadet programme for rangers to get on the job experience.
The first 10 cadets will be situated at DOC's Renwick base in Marlborough for the 30-month programme, which starts in January.
DOC said it wanted to invest in its future workforce and protect New Zealand's unique eco system at the same time.
DOC monitoring and insights director Karl Beckert told Checkpoint the need for a cadet programme was largely down to the ageing workforce within DOC.
"It's a broad range of work... it's looking after nature, it's popular visitor sites, it's back country huts and it's also even restoring old historic artefacts, so it's not a broad range of stuff that everyone knows.
"DOC has been pretty lucky to have people with a really broad base of skills and all of those people have passed on their skills to our existing workforce, but they're all now reaching retirement age and we need to make sure we've got a workforce that can continue the good work."
Beckert said it was incredibly important that the work was kept up, in order to sustain our ecosystems.
"Our introduced species, habitat loss and climate change are putting immense pressure on our ecosystems. We've got the highest proportion of threatened species in the world. And if we lose them, they're gone for good."
There were a few key criteria that DOC was searching for in cadet candidates.
"We're really looking for people who are fit, flexible, resilient and ready to work in remote and really challenging environments and who are especially really passionate about conservation.
"It's about making a real difference, it's incredibly rewarding work and for those who love working with communities, with iwi to make New Zealand a better place."
DOC monitoring and insights director Karl Beckert in South Westland. Photo: Supplied / DOC
In terms of fitness, there are even more specific requirements.
"You need to be able to carry 10kgs up 1000 metres of relatively rocky terrain or difficult terrain.
"It's not just your fitness, it's the resilience. So you know you're gonna be potentially in remote places for 10, 14 days at a time, camping in tents, being in some pretty miserable weather sometimes. But on the flip side, you'll also be in some incredibly stunning locations."
The starting salary for the programme is $60,000, and slowly trickles up as more experience is gained.
For the training programme in Blenheim cadets will be required to find and pay for their own accommodation, but when put on placements around the country, DOC would provide a place to stay.
Beckert said the programme was a pipeline into the career, and after it concluded cadets would be offered a placement somewhere else in the country.
"For someone who's really keen on a career in conservation this is a way in and really looking to use this as a base to build up the broad skills for our workforce."
He said the scope of the training will differ over the course of the programme.
"There is an a huge amount to learn the first year we'll be focusing on the basics, but in the second and third year we will be looking for people also to specialise in particular areas."
Applications for the cadet programme open on 20 October.
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