Apprenticeships are a great way to attract raw talent to any industry . The combination of hands - on experience and classroom learning helps individuals read what it occupy for a business to succeed .
Many businesses consider learner a primal part of their recruitment scheme as they provide an avenue for attracting interested workers and offer exploitation chance to those already work in the team .
The Environmental Horticulture Group late report that the sector support 722,000 jobs and contributed £ 38 billion to the UK economy in 2023 . However , the fair percentage of the environmental horticulture workforce utilise as apprentices in 2023/24 was only 3 % for landscape gardener and 1 % for retail merchant and growers . As a sphere with a majority of SMEs , the Horticultural Trades Association ( HTA ) seek to remove any roadblock to apprenticeship take - up and recognize the sector ’s current significant deficit .
The HTA has receive the government activity ’s commitment to reforming the apprenticeship levy en masse and make a flexible Growth and Skills Levy but ask that the needs of environmental gardening and broader landed estate - base sectors be consider when developing the insurance details . It is life-sustaining that a wider cohort of businesses can access these monetary fund , and that they authentically make for for the industry .
To keep National Apprenticeship Week , the HTA asked its phallus about the benefits apprenticeship schemes have had on their businesses and their importance in ensuring the next generation in gardening .
Jai Patel , Operations Manager , Tristram Plants/ The Farplants Group said : " Apprenticeships toy a vital purpose in developing the next generation of horticultural talent , bring reinvigorated idea , energy , and a passionateness for the manufacture . We ’ve run across first - hand how prentice contribute to excogitation and long - term ontogenesis , with over 40 learner unite us in the past six years through schemes like MDS and Pershore College . The blend of hard-nosed experience and integrated learning helps equip apprentices with the acquirement needed to drive the future of our sphere . invest in apprenticeships is n’t just about workforce development – it ’s about securing the future of gardening . "
Karl O’Neill , Technical Production Manager , Bransford Webbs said : " We have been run a successful apprenticeship political program for many years , and we view our apprentices as life-sustaining to the future of the business . With recruiting skilled horticultural staff becoming ever more challenging , our apprenticeship program has enabled us to fulfil many lasting vacancies over the age , with a good symmetry of our current Team Leaders , Supervisors , and Managers being former apprentices " .
For more entropy : Horticultural Trades Associationwww.hta.org.uk
