Future African Conservation Leaders Apply Here!

The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is calling for qualified candidates to submit an application to join the 2015–2017 class of its Conservation Management Training Program (CMTP).

The 24-month mentorship is an intensive, paid, on-the-job training program that offers recent master’s degree graduates the opportunity to launch their careers in African conservation while working alongside AWF’s conservation leaders both at the organization’s headquarters in Nairobi and in priority landscapes across Africa. Applications are due 15 March 2015.

“CMTP is quite an opportunity,” says second-year trainee Edwin Tambara, who is from Zimbabwe. “You are interacting with people who are at the highest levels in conservation and the highest decisions are being made. You get to learn about where the future of conservation is going.”

The mentorship comprises three stages, each of which builds upon the previous phase to create a robust, real-world education in conservation and management. The first stage is a three-month orientation at AWF’s headquarters in Nairobi, where trainees will learn about AWF programs, methodologies and tools from current staff. The second phase is 20 months of technical mentorship and field work, wherein trainees will be assigned to specific conservation sites based on their interests, skill set and proven capabilities. The final one-month stage involves trainees reconvening in Nairobi to reflect on their experiences, produce a holistic report on AWF’s operations and challenges, and recommend new ideas and strategies for AWF’s future work.

When asked what she hopes to get out of AWF’s Conservation Management Training Program, Kenyan and first-year trainee Robina Abuya says: “You experience barriers in topic areas where you’ve trained. I’m hoping to uninstall what I already have in my hard drive and install new information.”

Interested candidates can download the application at: www.awf.org/CMTP.