Sustainability

Sustainability is no longer confined to specialist environmental roles. Careers now span energy, construction, transport, manufacturing, land management, finance, waste, engineering and corporate operations. For Service leavers, skills in leadership, logistics, project delivery, engineering, risk management and health and safety can transfer well into this growing area. Opportunities range from hands-on technical roles in renewable energy and energy efficiency to environmental management, carbon reporting, compliance and sustainability programmes. The challenge is identifying where your existing skills fit. This guide explores the main career routes, the qualifications you may need and how ELCAS and other training options can support your transition.

What is the situation for people leaving the Armed Forces?

Service leavers can bring valuable skills into sustainability roles, particularly in areas such as energy, construction, infrastructure, environmental management and resource efficiency.

Leadership, project management, logistics, engineering, risk management and health and safety experience can all transfer well. Some people may be able to move directly into sustainability-related roles, while others will need additional technical or professional qualifications.

Opportunities include renewable energy, building retrofit, environmental compliance, waste and resource management, nature recovery and sustainability project delivery. The best route is to identify where your existing experience fits, then target any training needed to bridge the gap

What kinds of jobs are there in sustainability?

Sustainability covers a wide range of careers, from practical engineering and site work to environmental management, data analysis and corporate strategy. The right route depends on whether you prefer hands-on, office-based or mixed work.

• Environmental management: Roles include Environmental Adviser, Environmental Manager and HSE/EHS positions, covering compliance, pollution prevention, waste, environmental management systems and site operations.
• Energy and renewables: Opportunities include wind and solar technicians, renewable-energy engineers, battery and energy-storage roles, and project positions supporting the electricity network.
• Low-carbon buildings and retrofit: Careers include Retrofit Assessor, Retrofit Coordinator, energy assessor, building-performance roles and installation of technologies such as heat pumps and solar PV.
• Climate and resilience: Climate-risk, adaptation, emergency planning and business-continuity roles focus on helping organisations prepare for environmental and operational risks.
• Nature, land and water: Ecologists, biodiversity officers, countryside managers, flood-risk specialists and water-quality professionals work to protect and restore natural environments.
• Waste and resource efficiency: Roles cover recycling, waste management, reuse, remanufacturing, resource efficiency and circular-economy projects.
• Corporate sustainability: Sustainability managers and consultants help organisations reduce environmental impacts, manage supply-chain issues, set targets and report progress.
• Data and carbon: Analysts measure energy use, greenhouse-gas emissions and environmental performance using spreadsheets, reporting systems, GIS and other digital tools.

Service leavers may find particularly strong crossover in engineering, infrastructure, logistics, H&S, project management and operational roles. However, specialist careers such as ecology, retrofit assessment or technical installation may require additional civilian qualifications.

Sustainability-related apprenticeships

Apprenticeships offer a paid route into sustainability, combining workplace experience with recognised training.

Current options include:

• Environmental Practitioner – Level 6: A degree apprenticeship covering environmental management, assessment, compliance and sustainability.
• Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Practitioner – Level 4: For roles supporting an organisation’s environmental and social sustainability programmes.
• Junior Energy Manager – Level 3: Focused on monitoring energy use, improving efficiency and supporting carbon-reduction targets.
• Low Carbon Heating Technician – Level 3: A practical route into installing, commissioning and maintaining technologies such as heat pumps.

A Level 7 Sustainability Business Specialist apprenticeship is also available, although government funding for Level 7 apprenticeships is now restricted mainly to younger apprentices and certain eligible groups.

Search current vacancies through the Government’s Find an Apprenticeship service and use Skills England to check apprenticeship standards and training providers.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY APPRENTICESHIPS
Whatever career path you decide to follow, an apprenticeship can be a great way to get into the sustainable jobs sector. Take a look at the website of the Society for the Environment to find out about some of the related apprenticeships available in this sector, or check out the relevant pages of Indeed.com. Alternatively, use your favourite search engine to browse for more.

Use your ELC

Under the ELC scheme, a wide range of learning can be taken, provided it is offered by an approved provider listed on the ELC website and is at level 3 or above. For full details of how to make the most of your ELC, refer to the in-depth features elsewhere on this website.

What’s the money like? 

Pay varies considerably depending on the role, sector, location and level of technical responsibility.

As a rough guide:

• Entry-level sustainability and environmental roles: around £22,000–£30,000
• Environmental consultants: around £25,000–£50,000
• Sustainability consultants: typically £20,000–£28,000 starting, rising to £40,000–£60,000+ at senior level
• Wind turbine technicians: around £25,000–£47,000
• Renewable energy engineers: around £31,000–£61,000
• Sustainability managers: commonly around £45,000–£55,000, with senior leadership roles paying more

Specialist technical skills, professional accreditation and experience managing major projects can increase earning potential. Location also matters, with London and the South East often paying more.

Always check current vacancies in your chosen specialism, as sustainability covers a very broad range of careers.

Finding a job

If you are seeking to turn your concern for the environment into a full-time career, there are many jobs out there that will help you do just that. Time to start looking for your next job in the sustainability sector …