There are many organisations running a variety of practical training courses: in the UK, these include the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland, Scottish Conservation Projects Trust, the Association of Countryside Rangers, and the National Trust.
Many other people working in conservation are qualified lawyers, accountants, teachers, publicists... and so on. A great many different areas of expertise are needed, and by no means all conservation-oriented work requires a knowledge of conservation or takes place in the field. Just imagine how many different professionals are required to run a complex multi-national organisation such as the World Wide Fund for Nature, for example. But whatever subject you have chosen, as a general rule, most of these professionals have completed some form of further education.
Having said that, there is also a role for general office staff, without higher qualifications, and it’s by no means unknown for a secretary or personal assistant to move into a managerial or field-based position. If this is your aim, it is still important to develop new skills and gain more knowledge specifically in the wildlife and conservation field. There are many organisations running a variety of practical training courses: in the UK, these include the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland, Scottish Conservation Projects Trust, the Association of Countryside Rangers, and the National Trust.