Despite being a crucial and growing sector, the inability to find work in sustainability seems to be an issue that so many young people are facing. After leaving my role as a Project Officer for a community-science conservation project three years ago, I (maybe naively) expected to walk into a similar job in sustainability. How wrong I was! I applied for countless jobs, nearly always getting an interview and almost always being told I came second. When I asked for feedback, I was always hit with the same response: “The other candidate had more experience in this area than you.” It became so predictable. I have a First-Class degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Science, years of relevant experience, and I generally think I’m a pretty competent person, yet getting a job in sustainability has felt impossible. The constant rejection started taking a real toll on me, and I completely lost confidence in my own abilities.

During my job search, I attended a green skills and jobs event in Bristol. Here, I sat at a table with other young people, and after a few conversations, it was clear we were all sharing the same experiences. I feel like it was at this point that I started to realise that this isn’t a “me” issue, it’s a problem with the sector. Based on these conversations and observations from my own personal experience, there are common barriers that keep arising for young people breaking into the sustainability sector. Firstly, so many entry-level jobs require you to have substantial experience, often voluntary. This seems unrealistic for a lot of people who can’t afford to work unpaid, creating a sector which favours those who are in more privileged financial positions, reinforcing existing inequalities and limiting diversity, something which the sustainability sector desperately needs. If the sector really wants to increase its access, it needs to offer more paid internships that allow young people to gain experience without relying on unpaid labour.

Secondly, even if you do have experience, it doesn’t seem to be enough; it feels like the level needed for ‘entry level’ keeps on being raised. How are young people supposed to gain more experience when they are unable to get an entry-level job? Young people have so much to offer in the sustainability sector; we’re motivated, can bring new ideas, we understand climate anxiety, and we want to have a say in our futures! After all, we will be the ones living with the consequences of climate change.

This blog may sound like a bit of a rant, and maybe it is a bit- but more importantly, it’s a call to those working in sustainability to recognise the barriers that young people are facing and to help create pathways that genuinely support us into the sector. Young people are ready to get involved, learn and contribute to a sector which will shape all our futures; we just need to be given the chance!

Beth Gerrard May 2026