September 2011 intake: we are planning to take LTV's from 5th September 2011 for 6 months. Trial days are planned for the week commencing 8th August 2011. Applications are now open for the departments below. If you are interested in applying, please see www.cat.org.uk/jobs for more information about the roles.

• Anyone aged over 18 can apply to be an LTV, but we are usually looking for people who have certain skills and experience to offer. In return we offer a unique work experience and learning environment.
  
  
• Most LTVs are invited to come for a 'trial' week here before they can be accepted for a longer stay. Trial weeks exist to allow the potential volunteer to check out what we do and to see if they would be happy being here for six months, and also to allow the department to meet them and find out if they have the relevant skills and will fit in with the team. Trial weekers will be accommodated on site in hostel style accommodation and provided with meals during their stay, arriving on the Monday (daytime), and staying up until the following Sunday.
  
  
• LTVs stay for a period of up to six months. New LTV's start their six-month stay in the spring (March) or autumn (September).
  
  
• All departments at CAT are entitled to ask to take on an LTV but normally there are LTVs in Engineering, Gardening, Buildings and Maintenance, Information, Education, Biology, Media, Web Department, Visitor Centre Displays, Visitor Centre Marketing and Membership. An LTV works within a specific department and is usually supervised by a specific member of staff.
  
  
• Volunteers have to be flexible about working hours as the Centre is open seven days a week and on all public holidays (except Christmas). There is some variation between departments so check what will be expected of you. In a six-month period an LTV is entitled to take 15 days' holiday (including bank holidays) in line with other members of staff. Lunch is usually an hour and volunteers are entitled to two 30 minute tea breaks each day.
  
  
• LTVs need to find accommodation locally. They need to be entirely self-funding. If eligible then they can claim state benefits. CAT provides a free lunch and hot drinks on each working day for off-site LTVs. Travel expenses are also available up to a maximum of £16.50 per week. This should not affect any benefit entitlements. It is not usually too difficult to find local short-term accommodation - we can usually help point you in the right direction.
  
  
• LTVs are self funding. Please ask for information we have put together about supporting yourself as a volunteer and the cost of living locally.
  
  
• All LTVs are welcome to attend up to two CAT courses for free during their stay, as long as a course is not over-subscribed (subject to permission of our courses co-ordinator).
  
  
• As well as valuable hands-on work experience and training, LTV's also benefit from a year’s free subscription to CAT’s membership magazine, discounts for CAT shops & restaurant, lunch and travel expenses (upto £16.50 a week).

A brief outline of Departments and an LTV's role in each department is currently available at www.cat.org.uk/jobs in more detail. Below is a summary of potential tasks within each department:

Biology: maintenance and monitoring of our sewage treatment, drinking water treatment and composting facilities. Practical experimentation with systems and products. Habitat and woodland management. Countryside skills.

Buildings and Maintenance: building maintenance as required on the site and displays as well as involvement in any new building projects which may be ongoing. To assist the Visitor Centre Manager and team in their duties and to maintain the site in a way that will enhance the visitor experience. Assisting with major/minor improvements and site maintenance projects.

Engineering: engineering maintenance as required on the site and displays as well as involvement in any new engineering projects which may be on going.

Gardens: working on the visitor display gardens, participating in nursery work, vegetable growing, ornamental flower borders, landscaping and interpretation. Working in our food growing field, polytunnels and orchard, you will be involved in growing food for our staff and restaurant. The volunteer will work along with our team of gardeners and have their own areas of responsibility.

Information: office-based, helping answer the hundreds of written, telephone and e-mailed enquiries about the technologies we display. An opportunity to learn a lot about the different technologies.

Media: press relations, publicity and marketing. Helping the department with media campaigns and putting together the quarterly magazine.

Courses Department: The role involves technical preparation for courses, infrastructural improvement of the workshops and teaching areas and special projects such as renovating, designing and building demonstration rigs and equipment.

Web Department: tasks may include assisting with the design and development of the CAT website, responding to internal enquiries for updates to web site content and developing resources that can work in conjunction with email marketing.

Visitor Centre Marketing: the department aims to ensure a steady stream of visitors to the centre, in order to spread CAT’s message and to sustain core services of our organisation. The department is responsible for all leaflets, adverts, webpages, events and other marketing tools used to reach out to potential visitors. We’re also in charge or creating, amending, and implementing the overall marketing strategy for the visitor centre.

Visitor Centre Displays: The Displays department turns information (facts and figures) into messages that interest our visitors. And so, we design, construct and maintain displays and other interpretation around the site. Our visitors are diverse which means that we are increasing the use of a range of methods to deliver our messages. We can use technology, hands-on displays, art, signs, audio tours, guidebooks and more.

Membership: Work within this team on various tasks in the Membership department. There are currently over 7000 active members of CAT who support CAT’s work. Working within this team, there are a variety of learning opportunities.

Please look at www.cat.org.uk/jobs for current information for the September 2011 intake. To apply for a placement please send a full CV and a detailed covering letter telling us about yourself and stating clearly which department you would like to work with. For further enquiries about these opportunities please contact Michelle Clarke (Tel 01654 705955 e-mail )