NPA attracts local young talent

Bainbridge, 1 October 2019

The youngest employees at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority – all drawn from the local area – have spoken about their work in high-quality videos designed for use by schools and at careers fairs. 

Out of an employee headcount of 151 (or 121 ‘full time equivalent’), 11 members of staff are now apprentices – a record for the Park Authority.   Four are ‘Countryside Worker’ apprentices in the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership scheme; three are in the ranger service; and the rest are in communications, archaeology, land management and planning, respectively.

Image:  (Screen shot from the video)  ‘Claire Calvert, who is completing a planning apprenticeship, gives advice to a member of the public’

The figures show that alongside the likes of the Wensleydale Creamery and the Bolton Abbey Estate, the National Park Authority is one of the biggest employees in the Park.   54% of its staff live in the Park, while most of the rest travel in from towns on the edge of it, such as Leyburn and Skipton.

The videos and apprenticeship schemes are part of urgent efforts to retain and attract younger people to live and work in the National Park – a key objective in the new Yorkshire Dales National Park Management Plan 2019-24.  Official figures show that since 2010, there has been a continued marked increase in the number of over-65s living in the Park, with a corresponding marked decrease in the number of children living in the Park. The resident population of the Park has fallen by just over 500 people over the same period, and now stands at 23,488.

A 13-minute compilation is here; individual two-minute videos can also be seen on the Authority’s YouTube channel.

Carl Lis, Chairman of Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said: “The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a fantastic place to live and work – just listen to our apprentices.

“Since beginning our apprenticeship programmes only a few years ago, we’ve been delighted by how much energy young staff have brought to the Park Authority.  The thread running through the videos is how much our apprentices care for the environment and communities of the National Park – and that is inspiring.”

The videos have been produced on the back of Great Place – Lakes & Dales.  They were made by a creative company originally from Kendal and now based in Manchester, Film on the Brain, which is working with the Great Place project.

For more information, please call the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s Media Officer Andrew Fagg (Mon, Tues and Fri) on 01969 652374 or Communications Manager Richard Payne on 01969 652394.

1.    The Yorkshire Dales National Park is one of 15 National Parks in the UK. It is administered by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, which has two main purposes: “to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage” and “to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the National Park”. In carrying out these purposes, the Authority has a duty “to seek to foster the economic and social well being of local communities”. The National Park Authority comprises 25 members, made up of county and district councillors and members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment to represent parishes or in recognition of their specialist skills or knowledge.

2.    All of our work is guided by the vision for the future of the National Park set out in the Yorkshire Dales National Park Management Plan: “Through their passion for this special place, local people and businesses will keep the Yorkshire Dales National Park a thriving area. Its unique cultural landscape will be treasured for its stunning scenery, exceptional heritage and wonderful wildlife, and every year millions of people will be inspired to be a part of it.” www.yorkshiredalesmanagementplan.org.uk

3.    All Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority media releases can be viewed online by visiting www.yorkshiredales.org.uk