The MSc Ecological Survey Skills with Placement (previously called the MSc Species Identification and Survey Skills or SISS) at the University of Reading has an employability-focused curriculum equipping students with practical skills highly valued by ecological consultancies and related ecological sectors.
The programme structure delivers an impactful combination of academic learning and hands-on field training, including a 6-month paid industry placement. The MSc blends academic excellence with authentic field learning, exemplifying the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) ethos of linking theory to practice in ecology and environmental management.
Working closely with RSK Biocensus and Aspect Ecology, the University of Reading developed the MSc programme to answer the challenges set out by CIEEM in its research report ‘Closing the Gap: Rebuilding ecological skills in the 21st Century (CIEEM 2011)’.
The MSc was launched in 2011 and has already trained over 200 highly employable graduates ready for work in the ecological, conservation and consultancy sectors.
RSK Biocensus has enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership with the University of Reading since 2011, providing between four and seven ecology student placements each year for students enrolled on the university’s MSc course. Also, some of our staff (Dr Richard Carter, Simon Boulter and Tom Smith) have delivered lectures in consultancy skills, report writing and field survey/identification skills. Dr Carter in particular has been associated closely with the course since its establishment, and Tom and Simon have current commitments to the course – including assessing the students’ end of year portfolios.
Each year, RSK Biocensus presents its placement offer, along with other ecological consultancies, and students are invited to apply to the company that feels a good fit for them. This gives them experience of writing a CV and attending an informal interview. With support from a line manager and mentor/buddy, the students are given a rounded exposure to all aspects of ecological consultancy, including writing fee proposals, project management and coordination and assisting on all types of ecological survey and reporting. Students are monitored and assessed by their line managers and mentors in terms of their technical competence, as well as aspects including time management, writing skills, communication, organisation and health and safety. The assessment scores are fed back to the university and contribute to the student’s overall grade. During their placement, students also complete a portfolio, which is a written account of their time at RSK Biocensus, and they prepare a presentation around a particular species or survey. At the end of their placements, the students are happy to take part in RSK Biocensus’s presentation to the next round of potential applicants and talk about their positive experiences with the company. At our weekly informal meetings that take place throughout student placements, previous students become mentors, which is a great opportunity for current placement students to ask any questions that might have arisen during the week.
The students from Reading have arrived at RSK Biocensus with a positive and enthusiastic attitude, well prepared for the workplace, and we have found them to be confident and reliable team players. As a result, not only have we been able to offer the students paid short-term contracts for the duration of their placement, but we have also offered almost all of them full-time ecology assistant roles within RSK Biocensus and are proud to retain many students well into their careers. We currently have 17 retained students, and some have now reached senior consultant level.