NatureScot Peatland ACTION is piloting a training scheme to help more people develop skills in practical peatland restoration, mitigating climate change and halting Scotland’s biodiversity loss.

The six-week New Entrant Machine Operator Training Scheme aims to give people new to the sector the key skills and basic knowledge to pursue a career in peatland restoration. Targeting existing machine operators who have no peatland restoration experience, the training will upskill people in rural communities, equipping them with the knowledge, and contractor firms the additional workforce needed, to expand their peatland work.

Peatland ACTION will be providing funding to ten contractor businesses under the Peatland ACTION Machine Operator Training Scheme, to upskill new apprentices to diversify their knowledge and expertise in peatland restoration techniques. Apprentices are being placed within these businesses for six weeks of practical, on-site training with more experienced operators, at the end of which they will receive acknowledgement of their new skills that they can use to find work in the sector.

Four trainees have been placed with contractors so far, with the rest due to complete their training by the end of March 2024. If successful, the scheme may be repeated in 2024-25.

Restoring peatlands is not only a vital nature-based solution to climate change and biodiversity loss. It is also a growing sector which supports new land-based jobs and the wider rural economy as part of a just transition to net zero. This training scheme will help build capacity in the workforce delivering restoration work on the ground, while supporting employers to offset some of the costs of training machine operators during their initial learning phase.

If you are interested in finding out more about the range of training opportunities, please email the team at Peatland ACTION.