Training

GoLandscape, promoting career opportunities to the next generation

Let’s start with some positive news. I am really pleased to say that the physical events side of GoLandscape is finally back up and running. That’s not to say that we haven’t been attending and supporting careers events, but often these have been in a virtual format. We’re all probably very close to ‘Zoom burnout’ and feeling more ready for face-to-face meetings and events to take place, and I’m sure schools and colleges are no different.

Landscape companies have always found it challenging to find new staff, and this became more difficult over the pandemic with the number of projects on the rise. Encouraging fresh talent into the landscape industry has always been one of the key goals for GoLandscape. As I have said before, we can only circulate existing employees within the industry for so long - we need to bring in new people to train and nurture through the ranks if we have any chance of addressing our skills shortage. We can do this by focusing on three major groups: the school and college leavers, and career changers.

The impact of the pandemic on careers advice

Building engagement with schools was one of the major struggles when GoLandscape was first established and launched, but year upon year, we have seen school engagement improve. The priority of engaging with schools has always been first and foremost to raise awareness of the industry and challenge the misconceptions that people have about it. This often starts with careers advisors and teachers, but also extends to parents - all of whom can impact the view that pupils have of our industry..

Over the last 18 months, pupils’ access, and opportunity to engage with careers advice has been difficult with the pandemic impacting access to work experience and advice from working professionals. Careers activities have often been removed or reduced on timetables to focus on core subjects and to keep pupils absorbed while studying at home. Schools reported that they had 33% less curriculum time for careers advice compared to before the pandemic. This coupled with many Careers Advisors being furloughed, or teachers with a career’s responsibility having to focus on keeping lessons going over lockdown, has meant many pupils have had no careers guidance at all. There has never been a bigger need than now, to highlight careers in the landscape industry.

Growing interest in landscaping careers

Colleges and training providers have been in a similar situation to schools in terms of careers advice access, having to run virtual lessons for courses and apprenticeships. Feedback from colleges and training providers is that once they reopened fully, they have seen a marked increase in student interest and registrations on horticulture, landscaping, and design courses – positive news for the industry. It’s also interesting to see an even bigger

Written by Stephen Ensell

Education Officer (GoLandscape)

number of people joining part-time courses as they look to expand their career into the next chapter.

Maximising ‘The Great Resignation’

It has been well documented that a key impact of the pandemic has been ‘The Great Resignation’, with a steep rise in the number of people quitting their jobs, highest amongst midcareer employees.

Totaljobs conducted a survey of 5,364 and found that one in five people used their free time in lockdown to search and plan for a career in a new industry, and 22% of UK workers realised that their current role wasn’t for them. This is supported in our GoLandscape website statistics, with its most popular area being the career changers section for nearly 12 months straight over the period of the lockdown.

What this all means is that we have unprecedented opportunities to work in schools, colleges and with career changers to signpost them to the incredible career options available in our industry. We know how great a career with us can be, and with many finally concluding that working outside can have exponentially positive environmental and wellbeing impacts, there has never been a more prime time to raise awareness to careers in landscaping. As stated by Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology: “Beyond mental and physical health, being outdoors improves imagination and learning, and increases creativity and the feeling of fulfilment.”

Could you be a GoLandscape ambassador?

Our ambassador network has been reignited now that we have been able to physically re-engage with schools and career-changers alike to promote opportunities in our industry. I would therefore like to use this opportunity to encourage any of you not already engaged as ambassadors, to come forward and offer support in attending careers events as part of the GoLandscape team.

As an ambassador we could ask you to attend traditional careers fair, where you host a stand, engage with young people (and not so young people) to provide information and insight about working in the industry. Contributions of time may also see you delivering a presentation or workshop to a group to inspire and highlight the skills and roles available in the industry.

We are looking for a broad range of people to join us to showcase the breath of opportunities available in the landscaping industry. If you think you could help, or would like further information, please get in touch with me, stephen.ensell@bali.org.uk so that we can all work together to spread the message and inspire the next generation of landscape professionals.

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