LANDSCAPE SKILLS SHORTAGE HINDERS CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

BRITAIN’S PLANS FOR CLIMATE change adaptation and nature recovery are being held back by a major skills shortage, according to the latest research by the Landscape Institute (LI).

The industry-wide study, published in the LI’s report Skills for Greener Places, found that the country’s ‘green skills’ gap is forcing businesses to turn down contracts for projects that aim to mitigate climate change, boost nature recovery and increase biodiversity.

The researchers found that market demand for landscape skills is very high, with more than 50 per cent of businesses in the sector having a vacancy classified as hard to fill.

The report also shows that skills gaps exist across all parts of Britain and its sectors, but are particularly acute in the public sector and in areas outside the large cities, which is exacerbating regional inequalities