Apprenticeships, placements and work experience
One of the Devonshire Group’s 10 goals for the next 10 years is to take on 250 trainees, apprentices and paid graduates, and enable 250 pre-GCSE work experience placements to take place on our estates. We are proud to work with local education and training providers to create these opportunities.
Find out more about our apprenticeship schemes, work experience and placements below.
Apprenticeships
We aim to provide our apprentices with the professional and personal skills necessary to have a long and successful career within the Devonshire Group. We are proud that over 50% of our apprentices choose to develop their long-term career with us once their apprenticeship is completed.
We take our responsibilities of the development of our apprentices seriously and are active in providing experience in as many areas as possible, whatever your academic achievements are. We pay above the statutory rates and, provided you finish your apprenticeship – a great job at the end of it.
We offer apprenticeships in many areas across our businesses including: chefs and bakers; technical trades such as plumbing and electrician; gardening and office administration among others.
If you are interested in an apprenticeship, you can see if we have any current vacancies here, or contact our People Team at PeopleTeam@devonshiregroup.co.uk.
Work experience
Year 10 work experience
Short placements for school children aged 14 and 15 to shadow members of staff in their roles.
These work experience placements are generally available at the end of June and July each year – to fit with your school curriculum. We have places available in most areas including: the farmyard, the garden, catering and hotels, administration, marketing, collections, on the visitor route and events. However, these places are very popular so please put in your application early.
To apply for year 10 work experience please email PeopleTeam@devonshiregroup.co.uk indicating your preferred areas for work experience.
Veterinary student work experience
Placements for trainee veterinary students who are currently at sixth form or university.
These placements involve assisting with lambing at Dunsa Farm which generally takes place in April each year. Applications for lambing work experience open after Christmas each year.
For more information or to apply, please email farms@chatsworth.org
Placements for university students
We can provide placements and projects for students in higher education.
Undergraduate students
Departments who can host undergraduate placements include HR, marketing, the building department, collections, farms, garden, forestry, land agents and the Chatsworth Health Club.
PhD students
Colleagues in the collections team are also experienced in supervising postgraduate doctoral level projects. In 2018, three PhD students from the University of Sheffield completed studies on the people who lived and worked on the Chatsworth Estate in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. In collaboration with the White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities, a further three studentships have been put forward for funding with the intention they will start in October 2019. The projects will investigate the North Wing at Chatsworth: how it was rebuilt in the 19th century, and how it has been used and experienced since.
If you are interested in a placement please contact PeopleTeam@devonshiregroup.co.uk.
Garden placements
The Chatsworth Garden team currently offer two professional training programme schemes:
Professional Gardeners Guild
Offering the opportunity to gain practical skills in the workplace at three world class historic or botanic gardens. This is an ideal opportunity for anybody seeking a career as a professional gardener or horticulturist. To find out more visit the professional gardeners guild traineeship.
Historic and Botanical Garden training programme
The HBGTP provides full-time paid work as a gardener in a UK historic or botanic garden; placements last 12 months and start in September each year. To find out more visit hbgtp.org.uk.
We accept applications for each scheme on an annual basis and are always working to improve the schemes we offer.
To apply for either of these schemes follow the instructions provided on the above websites.
