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BASC and City & Guilds unite to safeguard wildlife management education
BASC has hosted a landmark education summit at Marford Mill head office with City & Guilds, aimed at securing the future of further education wildlife management courses.
The meeting marked the first in-person gathering of the City & Guilds Employer Industry Board. It brought together key organisations from across the sector to discuss how best to protect and reinvigorate game and wildlife qualifications.
Curtis Mossop, BASC’s head of education, said: “We are pleased to host the first in-person meeting of the City & Guilds Employer Industry Board. BASC has been campaigning and lobbying for the continuation of Further Education game and wildlife courses for more than two years now.
“Initially, we faced a catastrophe with current courses due for defunding, yet there was nothing to replace them, all within a very short timeframe. This cast huge uncertainty over our sector’s progression routes, the exceptional colleges that run these qualifications, and, of course, the young people whose ambition it was to study there.
“Thankfully, our work has resulted in some really positive outcomes, and we’re in a better position now. We have invited several key organisations to this education summit so we can take this forward and produce a new curriculum proposal for Skills England to consider.”
The education summit follows more than two years of lobbying by BASC to secure the future of specialist training pathways, which it claims are essential for supporting both young entrants into the profession and the colleges delivering high-quality courses.
By bringing together employers, educators and awarding bodies, BASC and City & Guilds aim to design a new curriculum proposal that reflects the skills needs of the land management sector while ensuring opportunities remain open for future generations of gamekeepers and wildlife managers.
BASC said it will continue to work closely with partner organisations to ensure that Skills England is presented with a robust case for the continuation and development of game and wildlife qualifications.
Jackie Hough, industry manager (land-based) at City & Guilds said: “We are really excited to be working with the sector to safeguard wildlife management education opportunities for the future.
“We would encourage anyone with an interest in the sector to contact us and we are happy to support and explore opportunities. This collaborative working will ensure that the wildlife managers of the future are given the tools to help protect our native flora and fauna for generations to come.”
Find out more about BASC’s education and outreach work here.
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