We check in with our very own Dave Tibbatts to summarise how the annual GreenSkills Seminar went last week held at the RHS Horticultural Halls in London.
We check in with our very own Dave Tibbatts to summarise how the annual GreenSkills Seminar went last week held at the RHS Horticultural Halls in London.
Good news the online portal ‘GROW careers in horticulture’. It is now free for both joining and supporting organisations. It is critical that everyone in the horticulture sector gets signed up.
David Milton the Vice President of the Institute of Careers Guidance advised the group that with no national body providing co-ordination and communications for careers in horticulture, obvious challenges lay ahead in terms of reaching career professionals.
Steve Dowbiggin (Capel Manor) and Myles Bremner (Garden Organic) celebrated the increased awareness and participation of food growing in schools over the last 10 years but highlighted that this success needs to be backed with horticulture being a core subject in the curriculum pre-14’s, an academic qualification for 14-16 year olds and also the need to develop a ‘cradle to grave’ professional horticultural qualification framework.
Evidence was provided from Steve McCurdy, MD of Majestic Trees who explained how paying above the odds and investing in his staff has helped his business not just survive but thrive. And Steve Taylor from Kirkless Council explained how investing in an ambitious apprenticeship programme is now helping them deal with budget cuts and the loss of older staff through voluntary early retirement.
Look out for part two – Dave Tibbatt’s will look ahead at skills for parks.
Source: GreenSpace blog – What’s Happening with Skills in Horticulture?
