developing Green Skills along the John muir way

the programme is being supervised by Kevin Fairclough, Senior Project officer, who says: “I’m grateful for the opportunity TCV has given me to skill-up the lads and pass on my knowledge and experience of working outdoors. I have seen and heard each one of them change as they’ve developed new skills and learnt about themselves whilst working outdoors in nature and with me. I’m aware that each day is a positive step forward for them!”

The Falkirk Green Skills trainees, from left to right: Liam Maxwell, Ross Murphy, Harrison McCarroll, Ryan Smith, and Logan Robertson, with supervisor Kevin Fairclough.

SteVe rAwSon

A group of young trainees, aged 16-18, are well into their Green Skills employment-based training programme with tCV in the falkirk area. this is a paid 12 month programme (until march 2023) funded by falkirk Council to increase the trainees’ job prospects, particularly in the ‘green jobs’ sector – council departments, landscaping and gardening firms etc.

the outdoor-based Green Skills is aimed at young people who find that classroom-based academic learning doesn’t best meet their needs. the trainees were referred to the programme through falkirk Council’s employment and training unit.

the programme is centred on improving public access across the John muir way green space corridor as it stretches through the falkirk area, particularly within kinneil estate, Bo’ness. the young team have been involved in a variety of tasks on the way to learn new skills, including building new paths, maintaining path surfaces and steps, strimming vegetation along path verges, and repairing sections of boardwalk running through a pond/wetland area where they learned basic woodwork skills.

the Green Skills team have also carried out gardening tasks at Jupiter urban wildlife Centre, Grangemouth, and built and installed planters for tamfourhill Community Hub, working with volunteers from tCV’s Stirling midweek Group. they have also erected a dead hedge boundary fence, and repaired post and rail fencing and maintained steps at muiravonside Country Park. A current project is to rebuild a long section of box steps (25 steps), and tasks in the coming months will include repairing drystone walls, installing piped culverts to improve path drainage, and strimming more vegetation along the paths. these activities will give the trainees new skills to learn and will help to improve those already gained on the programme.

the trainees are also attending work experience placements with tCV’s Stirling and Jupiter midweek volunteer groups, as well as the kinneil Green Gym. throughout the year the team are working towards the John muir Award, and the programme also funds lantra qualifications in skills such as Brushcutters/trimmers, and woodchippers. As well as gaining practical knowledge, the trainees are also improving their ‘soft’ skills - confidence, self-esteem, communication, and teamwork.

“Absolutely brilliant work guys!” Angus duncan, outdoor Access team leader, falkirk Council.

Commenting on the programme, one of the trainees said: “It’s given me an insight into work, what real work is like whilst getting proper training, as well as giving me a broader mindset when it comes to the environment. I like working outdoors quite a lot and this project has brought to light the fact that when you’re out here and working and people see the work that you’ve done – they appreciate that…they’ll go out of their way to say thanks for the work that you’ve done, and I really like that. The course has a lot to give because it gives you a better mindset when it comes to the world around you. It’s great having someone like Kevin as my supervisor because he’s very into nature. When I was a kid I always used to like to study birds and stuff, so meeting up with someone like Kevin is very broadening.

“There’s a lot less pressure here. In school there’s a lot of pressure – it’s mostly memory based, whereas here it’s more skill based, which I prefer.”

Another one of the lads said: “I think it’s about having an interest in what you’re doing. I think if folk were in the same position as me in school and not really enjoying it – it’s a good way to get out and get outdoors. I think getting in a routine is good as well…. once I left school I wasn’t doing much for four or five months …and then having to wake up at half seven and get yourself back into a routine like a nine to four job – it’s good, that’ll set you up for things after that as well. This kind of thing is going to be a better environment for me than school. I’ve never done any work like this before but it’s what I want to do …it’s good to get into.”