Stepping into the sustainability sector

The Youth Environmental Service offers a programme connecting young people from diverse backgrounds with real, supported, meaningful work in the green sector to kickstart their careers. In November 2025 we welcomed Nicholas Ferrari as our Membership Assistant, benefitting from his knowledge, fresh perspective, and research skills. In this blog, he shares reflections on his placement with us.

Starting a career can be difficult at the best of times, but for young people entering the job market today, it can feel hopeless. The humiliating ritual of applying for every single job listing on Indeed then receiving a never-ending stream of rejection emails is a disheartening and soul crushing experience. There is definitely a special place in hell for those AI robots that auto-reject my CV because it didn’t have a specific phrase!

It really feels like the cards have been stacked against us young people and that long gone are the days where having a degree was a golden ticket to getting a job right out of University. Now entry-level positions regularly ask for years of work experience, while getting that experience can be almost impossible without someone first giving you an opportunity. A real-life chicken or the egg situation.

That’s why being lucky enough to join the YES programme has been such an important step for me.

Hello, I’m Nicholas. I studied Environmental Science at Swansea University. After graduating, I knew I wanted to work in the environmental sector but wasn’t completely sure what direction to take. Not really knowing what to do I started what I call… A Panic Masters but still needed some work alongside this. Fortunately, after a long day of doomscrolling an ad popped up about the YES programme. I applied and got invited to an interview the following month.

YES stands for Youth Environmental Service. They are a programme that helps young people (me) begin their careers connected to climate action, nature and sustainability by allowing you to actually gain real life work experience at an environmental organisation without needing any of that unrealistic amount of experience that so many “entry-level” jobs seem to ask for.

Through YES, I joined Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership as their Membership Assistant. It has given me the opportunity to work within my area of expertise right out of uni (the dream for any graduate). A large part of my role involves supporting the Partnership’s membership network, which includes more than 1,300 organisations across the region. I help process new membership registrations, welcome new contacts, respond to enquiries and make sure that organisations receive relevant information from the Partnership. Although a lot of this work happens behind the scenes, it is super important because good systems help the Partnership maintain meaningful relationships with such a large and varied network.

I have also had the amazing opportunity to support Partnership events and workshops, including Green Mingles and Climate Action Breakfasts. These events have shown me how valuable informal spaces can be for bringing people together. Climate and nature work can sometimes feel overwhelming, but meeting people from different organisations and hearing about their projects makes the wider environmental movement feel much more connected.

I’ve also been able to use my research skills to investigate place-based, people-centred policy and present my findings in various meetings including to the Partnership’s Board of Directors and University of Bristol.

One of the biggest things I have learnt is that climate action is not only about having academic knowledge. It’s about relationships, communication and being as interconnected as possible with your local and wider community. No single organisation can deliver the changes Bristol needs on its own. Knowing that you are not alone in fighting for that change is a massive confidence booster and gives me real hope that change is possible. A large part of the Partnership’s role is connecting people, sharing knowledge and helping different organisations work towards common goals and this is a mission that I have found myself becoming more and more aligned with.

My time at the Partnership has also helped me develop practical skills. I have become more confident communicating professionally, managing my time, organising information and all of the other soft skills that you can only really get by getting stuck into a role like this one. But I am also learning that it is okay not to know everything immediately. Starting a new role can be intimidating, particularly when you are surrounded by people with years of experience. The support I have received through YES and from colleagues at the Partnership has helped me become more comfortable asking questions and learning as I go.

I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to work in such an amazing organisation and I hope everyone can get the chance to gain work experience like this. Many entry level roles are low-paid or even unpaid internships which are simply inaccessible with the cost of living including high travel and housing costs. Programmes like YES help break down some of the barriers for young people entering the job market. They don’t just provide a paid placement; they give a supported entry point into a sector that can otherwise be difficult to access. The programme has helped me recognise the skills I already have, understand where I need to develop and build confidence in what I can contribute.

Connect with Nicholas on LinkedIn.

YES Bristol are now looking for their next cohort of host employers. If your organisation could be part of the solution, find out more and apply at https://youthenvironmentalservice.co.uk/for-employers