Moving On magazine February 2018

Feb/Mar 2018

Moving On is a CASCAID product

The future of farming

Expert Kit Franklin talks to us about precision farming

Careers that stem from STEM STEM-based agricultural careers

Alternative energy

Careers in renewable energy

Engineering fun

/MovingOnMagazine @MovingOn_mag

We take a look at the engineering behind theme parks

www.movingonmagazine.co.uk

FEB/MAR 2018

CONTENTS

INSIDE...

04 NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK

05

16

2018

Sue Husband, Director of the National Apprenticeship Service tells us what to look forward to during National Apprenticeship Week.

Each year horticulturists under the age of 30 battle it out for the title of Young Horticulturist of the Year – the winner for 2017 was Lachlan Rae.

EDITORIAL

18 GROW YOUR CAREER

20

Get up to speed with everything educational and careers related.

10 LOVE THE LAND

We take a look at a selection of land-based careers – from animal care to viticulture.

12

Careers in horticulture to suit every type.

Editing publisher, Lynette Daly introduces a fresh crop of careers in this land-based issue.

06 NEWS

WINNING STORY

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

We take a look careers in renewable energy.

24 WHERE COULD A CAREER IN HOSPITALITY TAKE YOU?

We investigate roles in hotels, pubs, restaurants, tourist attractions and events management.

CAREERS THAT STEM FROM STEM

27 FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT

We take a look at the skills needed for a job in customer service.

Student writer, Tania Bal looks at how studying STEM could put you in touch with the land through a career in agriculture.

13 FUTURE FARMING

Rising star of agriculture, Kit Franklin tells us about exciting future farming technologies and careers.

28

ENGINEERING FUN

14 IN THE SPOTLIGHT - THE VET Why not put your STEM skills to use in the leisure and tourism industry as a theme park engineer?

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3

APPRENTICESHIPS

#NAW2018 SUE HUSBAND, DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP SERVICE TELLS US WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO DURING NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK.

N

ational Apprenticeship Week 2018 takes place from 5 to 9 March. Everyone with a passion for apprenticeships will be coming together to celebrate and get the nation talking about the exciting and wide ranging opportunities they have to offer.

Now in its 11th year, the theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2018 is Apprenticeships Work, to highlight the positive impact of apprenticeships for individuals, employers, local communities and the wider economy.

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED AND LEARN MORE? With support from current and former apprentices, employers, educators, training organisations and our partners, we hope to reach more people than ever before to inspire people of all ages to seize the opportunities that apprenticeships offer.

The easiest way to support the week is to do so on social media and encourage everyone you know to do the same using the hashtag #NAW2018.

If you are interested in learning more about apprenticeships or are an existing or former apprentice, there are two key activities during the week that you can get involved with: #WorksForMe is a social media campaign that encourages everyone involved in apprenticeships to share their own inspiring story. #10kTalks is another great way to become part of the week. We aim to speak to 10,000 people over the course of National Apprenticeship Week about why apprenticeships work.

Are you an apprentice with a great story to tell? Do you want more people to learn about how they can gain a great career and progress with an apprenticeship? Then we want you to sign-up with Amazing Apprenticeships. They are part of the National Apprenticeship Service and work to promote apprenticeships in schools across the country. Through Amazing Apprenticeships, we’ll match you up with schools in your area where you can go in and give a talk and inspire the next generation. We’ll also help you to prepare for the talk.

Celebrate the Class of 2018 Across the country there are apprenti ces doing amazing we want to celebrat work – and e them! On Friday 9 March we want all apprentices wh to celebrate o have completed their apprenticeship months. Employers in the past 12 will mark this occas ion and share their on social media usi success stories ng #NAW2018 so keep an eye out! An apprentice, encoura d if you’re an ge your employer to get involved.

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LINK To get involved an d find out more, search NAW2 018 on www.gov.uk

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EDITORIAL

A FRESH CROP OF CAREERS Welcome to our land-based issue.

In this issue we’ll be talking about apprenticeships, agricultural careers, working in the renewable energy sector, and hospitality and leisure. In keeping with our theme of loving the land, we’ve got some green-fingered inspiration for you in the form of an interview with Lachlan Rae, Young Horticulturist of the Year.

Editing publisher Lynette Daly Email: ldaly@cascaid.co.uk Tel: 01509226846 Graphic designer Thomas Levesley Student writer Tania Bal, Coopers’ Company & Coborn School Sales executive Sophie Boettcher Email: sboettcher@cascaid.co.uk Tel: 01509226856 Schools, colleges & sixth forms Annual subscription enquiries Email: movingoninfo@cascaid.co.uk With special thanks to the ECO Work-shop CIC, Warwickshire for their continued hard work.

CASCAID Ltd 2 Oakwood Drive Loughborough Leicestershire LE11 3QF Tel: 01509226868

Many of the jobs that we look at in this issue are predicted to be in high demand between now and 2024 as people doing them retire, we leave the EU, and industry areas grow to meet demand.

Whether you are interested in working in a busy retail environment where your cheerful personality can be shared with customers, a seriously scientific job, or a career that lets you work outdoors using your hands, we’ve got you covered - from traditional roles like dry-stone waller to nuclear engineer.

In our news and updates section, we’ve got an update on apprenticeships, including the new degree level teacher apprenticeship and Sue Husband, Director of the National Apprenticeship Service talks to us about celebrating National Apprenticeship Week.

Student writers for this issue include Tania Bal who has worked hard to research and write us a piece on how studying STEM can lead to a rewarding career in land-based.

All that’s left to say is that I hope you enjoy reading this latest issue of Moving On, remember that the least obvious careers are sometimes the most interesting and, knowledge is power – make sure you know which jobs are growing and which aren’t when planning for a successful future!

Lynette Daly Editing publisher

CASCAID Ltd. has made every effort to ensure that the information in this publication was correct at the time of going to press and hereby disclaim any liability to any party caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence or any other cause.

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5

NEWS

NEWS

BETTER APPRENTICESHIPS Good quality apprenticeships improve pay and employment prospects but many apprentices are not reaping these benefits according to recent reports.

Research by the Young Women’s Trust, which looked at 500 apprentices found that many are spending more than they earn. The research also found a gender pay gap, with the average wage for a male apprentice being £7.25 and the average wage for a female apprentice being £6.67.

This disparity in earnings may in part be because when it comes to apprenticeships, those that pay well tend to be in industry areas dominated by male apprentices; for example, for every 25 male engineering apprentices there is only one female.

The Sutton Trust report, Better Apprenticeships highlights the fact that ‘many apprentices are treading water, with the majority of apprentices under 25 years old starting their training below their existing level of attainment.

For example, a student may leave school with their A-levels, which are at level 3 and begin a level 2, intermediate apprenticeship.

A further issue is the lack of apprenticeships at an advanced or higher level – in 2015/16 higher apprenticeships made up only five per cent of the total.

NEW TRACK TO TEACHING There is now a new way into teaching – the post-graduate teacher apprenticeship. This is a level six apprenticeship which lasts for 12 months and which provides you with qualified teacher status.

It is expected that the new teacher apprenticeships will start to be delivered as early as September 2018. To become an apprentice teacher, you will need to have: •

6

• •

After completing your degree, you could apply to become an apprentice teacher where you would work towards qualified teacher status by completing your initial teacher training.

A minimum grade 4 GCSE in English and mathematics, and if you want to teach pupils aged 3-19 you will need a grade 4 GCSE in a science subject too

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£

A bachelor’s degree To have passed the national professional numeracy and literacy skills tests.

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APPRENTICE TEACHER SALARY The government has announced that apprentice teachers will be paid the same as other unqualified teachers. This means that as an apprentice teacher you would be paid a minimum of £16,626 a year.

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A YEAR OF ENGINEERING

WE’VE GOT ISSUES

January saw the official launch of The Year of Engineering. This is a year-long, national campaign to increase awareness and understanding of what engineers do among young people aged 7-16, their parents and their teachers.

Each issue of Moving On focuses on a particular industry, so this issue may not be the one that covers the type of career that you are interested in. You don’t have to miss out though, most of our issues are available online through our website. Find out about our issues at www.movingonmagazine.co.uk

The UK Space Agency will be supporting the campaign by funding a series of education and outreach projects designed to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

LINK Visit www.enginee ringuk.com to find out more abou t tomorrow’s engineers.

ONE IS NOT BORN A WOMAN Simone de Beauvoir was a French philosopher and author. She famously argued that what is meant by ‘woman’ is a social invention. It is true that the same thing could be said about men.

When it comes to subjects, study, and careers, perceptions of what is suited to men or to women can seriously restrict a person’s ability to create a successful future for themselves.

Take STEM study and careers – females are seriously underrepresented. This is a problem because graduates of STEM subjects typically earn more than other graduates. Engineering jobs are among some of the most exciting and challenging out there, and – without females researching and working in STEM we are missing out on the perspective that females offer, which means that products and services will not be as good as they could be.

WATCH If you want to relax and watch a movie that showc ases the important work of women in STEM we recomme nd Hidden Figures.

Ada Lovelace – Wrote the first complete computer program.

Hertha Ayrton – Was one of the first women to work in electrical engineering. She discovered the electric arc in 1902 but wasn’t allowed to read her paper to the Royal Society because she was female.

Rachel Parsons – Was the first female to read mechanical engineering at Cambridge University but she wasn’t allowed to actually take a degree on account of her being female.

Beatrice Shilling – Started out as an apprentice electrical engineer. She went on to design a flow restricting device that solved a serious problem with Rolls Royce engines during the Second World War. Mary Sherman Morgan – Designed the rocket fuel Hydyne, which enabled the launch of the Jupiter-C rocket.

One of the reasons that girls may not be inspired to investigate careers in STEM is because they do not see enough, if any female role models. With this is mind, let’s just give you five fantastic women in STEM to think about.

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7

WANT A GREAT CAREER IN AGRICULTURE?

Reaseheath College can help you

We’ve invested

£80 million in

cutting edge technology and specialist training facilities across campus, ensuring you have the

best possible start to your career

97% of last year’s

unique insights and very relevant You’ll gain

leavers gained satisfying jobs in the agriculture

experiences by joining study tours in the UK and abroad, and by completing

industry or progressed onto higher level courses

‘hands-on’ work experience

Our modern farm is home to

our elite dairy herd and commercial sheep and pig units - and we have a

state-of-the-art Food Centre We could say more...

like our switched on staff all have industry experience and we’ve great on-site accommodation and leisure facilities, but we’d rather you came and saw our campus for yourself.

Find out more visit reaseheath.ac.uk/getacareer enquiries@reaseheath.ac.uk

01270 613242

Reaseheath College, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 6DF

We offer degrees, diplomas and apprenticeships so there’s definitely a course for you! � Agriculture � Agricultural Engineering � Countryside and the Environment � Forestry and Arboriculture � Game Management � The Food Industry � Butchery Apprenticeships ...and many more!

Coming soon £7m Agri-Tech Centre

WINNING APPRENTICE

LOOK NO FURTHER IF YOU WANT SOME INSPIRATION – MAGDALENA DYGA, A MANUFACTURING LABORATORY TECHNOLOGIST IS THE IET APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR.

T

he Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) Apprentice of the Year Award recognises individuals who have made exceptional engineering contributions to their profession or operational area.

Magdalena Dyga, a special science apprentice at Rolls Royce Plc was chosen as the winner of Apprentice of the Year Award for her outstanding work.

She led several projects and was a key member of the team that achieved a 50 per cent cycle time reduction and annual £160,000 cost saving in electron beam welding, a project that went on to win the company’s 2016 Lean Award.

Magdalena was the single point of contact for the facilities automated welding process and played a critical role in identifying and solving manufacturing bottlenecks to improve efficiency and business continuity.

IET President Nick Winser CBE said, “This is a fantastic achievement and Magdalena should be very proud to win this award against strong competition in her category.

Magdalena received a trophy, certificate, £1,000 and two years’ free membership to the IET. •

•

Magdalena commented: “I am over the moon with this award from the IET. Being nominated was recognition enough but winning is unbelievable. It shows that working hard and applying yourself really does pay off.

As a keen STEM ambassador Magdalena organises activity days at schools and colleges. She also promotes engineering apprenticeships at open evenings and skills festivals and acts as a buddy to new apprentices.

“I chose an apprenticeship as a route into engineering for the opportunity to balance my studies with hands-on work experience and to gain knowledge directly from people working in the industry. Engineering allows you to be involved in innovation and make a difference to society. I hope this kind of award inspires more young people to choose engineering as a profession.”

She has a Level 3 BTEC in Engineering with double distinction and is currently studying for a Foundation Degree in Materials Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University.

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9

LAND-BASED

LOVE THE LAND

LAND-BASED COVERS AN AWFUL LOT – FROM FARMING AND FISHERIES TO FLORISTRY AND FORESTRY. WE TAKE A LOOK AT A SELECTION OF CAREERS IN THE INDUSTRY.

W

orking with your hands, not being stuck in an office – sound appealing? The land-based industry is huge and if you love the land then there’s bound to be a land-based career to suit you. We take a look at four favourites of ours: - dry-stone walling, fish farming, farm management and floristry.

LINK To find out more ab out dry-stone walling visit www. dswa.org.uk To discover more ab out landbased careers visit www.nlbc.uk

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ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION - DRY-STONE WALLING

HEAD FOR BUSINESS? – FARM MANAGEMENT

Jobs don’t get much more hands on that this. If you love the great outdoors and want a job where you can preserve the landscape, then dry-stone walling might well be your thing.

Farm managers look after the day-to-day operation of animal, dairy or crop farms. This might be the farming of livestock – cows, pigs or sheep, or crops, which can include cereal, vegetables or fruits.

Environmental conservation workers are involved in the conservation of landscapes. Dry-stone walling is an ancient craft which sets the boundaries between fields. Dry stone walls are a beautiful feature of the British countryside and the skills needed to repair and preserve these features are in great demand.

As its name suggests, no cement is used to build dry stone walls and their strength comes from the interlocking method used to construct them.

The apprenticeship route The Environmental Conservation Apprenticeship at Level 2 allows you to choose a dry-stone walling pathway. The apprenticeship includes a competence qualification in dry stone walling.

There’s more to being a farm manager than spraying, feeding, driving tractors and operating machinery.

Farm managers also buy supplies, buy and sell stock, including animals; train and manage farm workers and look after the budgets.

To get a job as a farm manager you would normally need an HND, foundation degree or bachelor’s degree in agriculture, crop management or land / estate management.

Experience is important and there are some companies that offer work experience; such as Farmcare which offers work experience in arable and fruit farming and WWOOF which offers work experience abroad.

GET CREATIVE AND COLOURFUL – FLORISTRY ANIMAL MAGIC - FISH-FARMING Fish farmers breed and grow fish and shellfish. They feed and monitor fish, look after the environment that the fish and shellfish live in and harvest fish stock for sale.

It’s outdoor work in all weathers and like most land-based careers, it’s a physically demanding job.

There are no set entry requirements but studying biology, agriculture, aquaculture or environmental science might be helpful. Some colleges, like Sparsholt offer courses in fishery or aquatic studies – so it’s worth looking out for these.

The most important thing if you want to work in fish farming is experience, so get yourself out there and become a member of an angling club or get some experience on a fish farm if you can.

Being able to swim is essential and being able to handle a boat would be helpful too.

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Florists work in shops, garden centres and out and about at event locations. They work with fresh cut, dried and silk flowers.

If you work in a flower shop or garden centre then you will probably have to deal with customers, helping them choose flowers or plants. You’ll also have to look after plants and flowers, keeping them at the right temperature.

As a florist a big part of the job is designing and preparing flower arrangements. This includes arrangements for funerals, weddings and other special events.

If you work in retail, expect busy periods, such as Valentine’s Day and you may need to deliver flowers and put together displays at events, so you may need to drive.

There are no set entry requirements but experience in retail would be helpful and there are floristry courses that you can attend to develop the skills needed.

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11

LAND-BASED

HOW STUDYING STEM COULD PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH THE LAND THROUGH AN AGRICULTURAL CAREER.

S

TEM subjects – that’s science, technology, engineering and maths are useful for many jobs, but have you considered a land-based career?

The variety of careers in the land-based sector include working in arboriculture, horticulture, agricultural engineering and plant breeding – all of which make use of STEM skills.

Make use of physics, maths, engineering and computing as a land-based engineer. An agricultural engineering career is primarily concerned with designing and maintaining farm machinery and equipment; as such it requires maths, physics and computing skills.

As an agricultural engineer you could design farming machinery using CAD (computer-aided design) technology, work on GPS systems, plan the construction of rural electric-power distribution systems or keep farm machinery going.

If you enjoy computing, maths, engineering and physics this could be the perfect way to put your skills into practice.

This sector employs 3.5 million people across the UK and did you know that currently, 25 per cent of the agricultural industry consists of professionals who are aged at least 55 or older? This means that there will be increased opportunities for younger workers in upcoming years.

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LINK

BY TANIA BAL

Find out more at www.lantra.co.uk /caree

rs

Have you always enjoyed the outdoors and plant life? If so, why not make use of your study of chemistry, biology and maths as a plant breeder.

The aim of plant breeders is to develop desirable traits within plants, which can include drought tolerance or disease resistance. This particular career can be demanding at times, as the yield of certain crops has to be increased to meet the needs of both the market and consumers.

A degree in plant science would be particularly useful in this land-based career, as plants will need to be crossed in order to produce new breeding material. Also, specific plants will have to be chosen based on natural genetic variation. Taking biology as an A-level will definitely help to get onto this degree, which will last approximately three years. This job also requires analytical skills, as plant breeders are expected to scientifically assess how plants breed in both laboratory and field trials.

Another land-based sector that you might be interested in, if you like the idea of plant breeding, is arboriculture – the study of trees. Studying biology at A-level and as a degree would improve your chances of becoming an arboriculturist.

So, whether you enjoy physics, chemistry, biology, maths or computing – there’s a career in land-based for you.

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Future Farming

AGRICULTURE

KIT FRANKLIN IS AN AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING LECTURER AT HARPER ADAMS UNIVERSITY. HE TALKS TO US ABOUT EXCITING FUTURE FARMING TECHNOLOGIES, SKILLS AND CAREERS. “When you think of farming, your mind probably conjures up images of muddy fields, wellies and hard physical work.

However, in this era of digitalisation, this picture is becoming far from true.

“With a growing population and finite resources, it’s essential that the way in which food is produced continues to innovate, drawing on a wide-range of areas of expertise, including chemistry, IT, biology and engineering.

“Farming isn’t only about the farmer in the field, but also a whole range of supporting careers and industries. This can range from scientists in labs formulating new animal feeds to an agricultural engineer designing a more efficient tractor.

There are still inefficiencies in how food is produced, and many opportunities and careers now, and will, exist to change this. One area that aims to tackle this is precision farming.

“Precision farming aims to improve efficiency and reduce waste by monitoring each individual animal or plant area ensuring they receive exactly what’s required for their optimum health and productivity. For example, rather than applying fixed doses of fertiliser to an entire farm, the amount used should be dependent on the individual needs of the plants in a specific area, applied on a day when it will have the best impact on performance and targeted at the roots.

Kit’s research into future farming systems led to the Hands Free Hectare project at Harper Adams University. Run in conjunction with Precision Decisions, the project team, which includes Kit, grew, nursed and harvested a cereal crop using only autonomous vehicles and drones.

“Some of the other exciting areas being looked into are the use of lasers to remove weeds, reducing the reliance on chemicals; 3D machine vision to identify ripe fruit for picking, and using fitness trackers on animals to highlight potential health issues before they emerge.

“This means there are a number of stimulating careers to be had developing these future farming technologies and systems. Higher education is a key gateway to many of these careers but also importantly, alongside this, a wish to improve the world in which we live.”

Find out more at www.handsfreehectare.com and www.harper-adams.ac.uk

“To enable this to happen biologists are needed to study the requirements of plants, chemists to develop fertilisers that can applied in an adaptive manner, IT specialists to interpret data from the field and engineers to develop smart machines that can apply the fertiliser with greater accuracy.”

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L:R – Kit Franklin, Jonathan Gill and Martin Abell

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

THE VET

V

ets, or veterinary surgeons examine, diagnose and treat injured and sick animals. The animals can be domestic, livestock, horses or zoo animals. Vets also communicate with animal owners and will discuss things like nutrition with them amongst other things.

Vets don’t only diagnose and treat animals. They also help to manage outbreaks of disease, which can affect both humans and animals.

HOW TO BECOME A VET The job that a vet does is very broad and so is the study which includes: epidemiology, microbiology, parasitology, pharmacology and physiology. To work as a vet, you must hold a degree in veterinary science and be registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).

Some veterinary degree courses are accredited or approved by the RCVS. It’s worth looking for this when searching for a university course.

Entry requirements for each university will be different but generally you will need A-level Biology and a second science, such as chemistry. Most universities ask for ABB, although some require AAA and some ask for a good

14

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GCSE grade in physics if you haven’t studied it at A-level.

Some universities accept vocational qualifications, such as applied science or animal management and will normally ask that you achieve distinction in this.

In addition to the rigorous academic study that you will do if you train as a vet, you will also need to get lots of experience in the field and the following skills will be needed: • Problem solving • Communication • Practical ability • Patience • Resilience

JOB PROSPECTS AND EARNINGS Between now and 2024 the job opportunities for veterinarians are expected to grow by nine per cent.

There is also expected to be a 31 per cent increase in opportunities created by people retiring from the profession.

The average UK starting salary for a vet is around £30,000 a year. You can expect to work unsociable hours and weekends where needed.

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WINNING STORY

Young Horticu EACH YEAR HORTICULTURISTS UNDER THE AGE OF 30 BATTLE IT OUT TO BE CROWNED YOUNG HORTICULTURIST OF THE YEAR. THE WINNER FOR 2017 WAS SCOTLAND’S LACHLAN RAE.

T

his year’s Young Horticulturist of the Year competition came to an exciting end at University Centre Shrewsbury where the final eight competitors fought for the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world with a £2,500 bursary.

The bursary is provided in honour of Percy Thrower, Britain’s first celebrity gardener, known for his work with the BBC on Gardeners World and Blue Peter. The competition had over 2,500 entries from young horticulturists from all over the UK and Ireland.

The day began with a series of plant identification rounds which proved to have an enormous impact on the scoreboards later in the competition. An audience of over 70 people arrived to support the final eight contestants, including more than 20 members of the Shropshire Horticultural Society including Percy Thrower’s three daughters. Also in attendance was Nick Smith, Show Director of the Harrogate Flower Shows – the location for the 2018 competition.

The competition itself began just after 11am and after the first few rounds Lachlan was already in the lead, closely followed by Fern with just one point between them. But after the points from the morning’s identification rounds were added into the mix, we saw Josh rise to first place with Julia and Lachlan following close behind.

Going into the final round there were 20 quickfire questions with 40 points up for grabs. Fern started in the lead, but very 16

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quickly Lachlan showed his abilities taking away 17 points and allowing him to take first place. Competition organiser Susan Nicholas said she had never seen such a tight competition with only five points between first and second place.

2012 YHOY winner, Douglas Mackay said “They hid their nerves much better than I remember managing to and it was so closelyfought! The day had a great buzz and you feel so energised by all that horticultural knowledge.”

After the final round, we heard an inspiring speech from James Hodgson, one of the founding trustees of the Percy Thrower Trust.

The prizes were then due to be presented

by SHS Chairman, Richard Whittingham, however Richard thought it would be more fitting to have Percy Thrower’s three daughters present the certificates, so Margaret Thrower, Ann Kirkham and Sue Jones took to the stage.

As well as their certificates, each finalist received a collage of one of Percy Thrower’s horticultural projects - the dingle, a book and free membership to both the CIH and Plant network. Lachlan Rae now has his opportunity to plan how he will spend his £2,500 during his extended visit to Australia and possibly Tasmania. Fern goes home with £950 and Josh with £550 while the rest of the runners up all receive £200, all to be used in any way they wish.

After the competition when asked where he would like to see himself in the future, Lachlan replied ‘Looking forward towards the future I could quite happily see myself in a television gardening role’ It would be fantastic to see Lachlan following in the footsteps of Percy Thrower, taking inspiration from Britain’s first celebrity gardener.

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ulturist

of the Year

Winner Lachlan Rae The competition is free to enter and open to any horticulturist below the age of 30 on 31 July 2018.

We will be taking entries for the 2018 competition from October 2017. The competition is run in three phases, the heats, the regional finals and the national final.

Heat winners go forward to one of eight regional finals held in March, when a question master asks a wide range of horticultural questions, some through a buzzer round, and some directed to individual contestants. In addition, there are two identification rounds to further test their depth and breadth of knowledge on a range of plants pests, diseases, disorders and weeds.

M Brewer, P Adams, J Egan-Wyer, J Andersson, B Howard, F Champney, L Rae, E Zinkute, N Foulds Images courtesy of Chartered Institute of Horticulture

LINK For more informati on, and to have a trial run at some previous heat questions, vis it www.horticulture. org.uk

The winner of each regional final progresses to the grand final where the format is the same as for the regional finals with questions covering all sectors of horticulture.

The winner of the grand final receives the ÂŁ2,500 Percy Thrower Travel Bursary, provided by the Shropshire Horticultural Society, Percy Thrower Trust. This funds a horticultural trip anywhere in the world.

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HORTICULTURE

GROW

YOUR CAREER

WHETHER YOUR PASSION IS PHOTOGRAPHY, ART OR SCIENCE THERE IS A CAREER FOR YOU IN HORTICULTURE. HERE ARE JUST A FEW.

H

orticulture is the art, science, technology and business of cultivating all sorts of plants, including medicinal plants, fruits, vegetables and grains, herbs, and ornamental trees.

The horticultural industry is a massive contributor to the UK economy and our environment and food security depend on it. Here are some of the careers in horticulture that you might like, whatever your interests are.

FOR THE CREATIVE

FOR THE CONSERVATION ENTHUSIAST

FOR THE SCIENTIFIC / TECHNICAL

Garden designer Florist Horticultural journalist Landscape designer Landscape architect

Countryside manager Environmental education officer Garden historian Landscape ecologist Nature conservation officer

Soil scientist Environmental or horticultural scientist Horticultural chemist Plant geneticist Propagation scientist

FOR THE GREEN-FINGERED

FOR THE BUSINESS MINDED

FOR THE SPORTY / HEALTH CONSCIOUS

Fruit / veg grower Gardener

Garden centre manager Logistics manager

Green gym manager Horticultural therapist Groundsperson Arboriculturalist

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

THE NUCLEAR ENGINEER

N

uclear engineers are responsible for the safe running of nuclear power stations. They design, build and decommission plants and equipment. They also monitor radiation levels for safety purposes, plan safe methods of disposing of nuclear waste and carry our maintenance work.

There are a variety of specialist engineering roles within the nuclear sector. These include hydraulic engineers, chemical, electrical and mechanical engineers.

Whether you work in an office or a power plant will depend on the role that you have and the field that you work in.

HOW TO BECOME A NUCLEAR ENGINEER There are a variety of routes into an engineering role in the nuclear industry.

There are several apprenticeship options available, at a variety of levels. These include the: • • • •

Level 2 Nuclear Operative Level 4 Nuclear Welding Inspection Technician Level 5 Nuclear Technician Level 6 Nuclear Scientist

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Alternatively, you could study full time for an HND, HNC, foundation degree or degree in any of the following relevant subjects and enter the industry as a graduate trainee - chemical, electrical or mechanical engineering, maths, physics.

JOB PROSPECTS AND EARNINGS Starting salaries for graduate trainees are around £24,000 a year; slightly lower for those entering on an apprenticeship. If working as a plant operative, you would expect to work on a shift pattern as the work goes on seven days a week.

£

Progression opportunities should be good. There is a shortage in the UK of workers in senior management roles in the decommissioning and waste management areas of the nuclear industry.

It is also worth considering that nuclear specialists operate in other fields such as medicine, manufacturing and even space exploration so your career in nuclear doesn’t have to be limited to working in the energy industry.

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INFO The nuclear indust ry used to be filled with white ma le workers – but things are ch anging. Find out about women in nuclear at www.nuclearinst.c om

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ENERGY

A CAREER IN THE UK RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRY COULD BE SUSTAINABLE IN MORE THAN ONE WAY.

T

he target is for 15 per cent of the UK’s energy to be produced using renewable sources by 2020. To achieve this the power industry will create many new jobs, including around 50,000 more engineers over the next few years.

It’s not easy to summarise what it would be like to work in renewables because the work setting and tasks vary depending on the area that you work in. You could work outdoors, in an office, in a laboratory or at sea.

WATER Tidal power can be used to produce energy. Turbines are placed in tidal streams, which are areas of fast-flowing seawater and waves cause the turbines to rotate, generating electricity.

Mechanical, civil and structural engineers are all needed to design, build and maintain tidal energy systems.

Oceanographer engineers are also important for identifying locations.

There are mechanical engineering apprenticeships and of course degrees in mechanical and civil engineering. A solid background in maths and physics will be needed to succeed in this career.

SUN Areas of renewables work include research and development, design and manufacture, construction and installation, operations and maintenance and support and administration.

SKILLS STEM skills are im portant to many if not mo st roles in renewables

Solar panels on houses are a familiar sight now. Solar panels are made up of semiconductor materials. The sun hits the solar panels and this causes electrons to be knocked loose of their atoms generating electricity.

An example of a job in this field is the solar panel fitter.

Solar panel (sometimes called PV or photovoltaic) fitters install rooftop panels on domestic homes or work on largescale solar farms.

Wherever they work, their job includes assembling, installing and maintaining solar panels which can involve measuring and cutting as well as some electrical work.

U KNOW?

DID YO

Fitters who work on domestic homes need to have good customer service skills to deal with clients.

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In 90 minutes, enou gh sunlight strikes the earth to provide the entire planet’s energ y needs for one year.

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BIOMASS Biomass is organic material like plants that is used as a fuel.

Biomass power plants already produce 11,000 megawatts of energy for the UK making it the second largest source of renewable energy in the UK. Biomass involves burning carbon neutral fuels to produce energy.

FACT Carbon neutral me ans that the amount of carbon dioxide released by burning is the sam e as the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the plant whilst growing.

WIND You’re probably used to seeing wind turbines by now – sometimes there are just a few, other times you might see a huge wind farm. Wind turbines use the energy of the wind.

The wind turns the blades, which spin generators and create electricity. An example of a job working in wind power is a wind turbine technician.

Wind turbine technicians inspect, diagnose, adjust and repair wind turbines. They solve electrical, mechanical and hydraulic malfunctions and keep the turbines in good working order.

As a technician you might have to climb wind turbine towers, use equipment to test electrical components and circuits, collect wind turbine data for analysis and inspect the blades which are made of fibreglass.

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GETTING INTO RENEWABLES – THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING BIT There are, at the time of writing, 68 specialist renewable energy undergraduate courses in England. Most will ask that you have A-levels in maths and physics at a very good grade.

APPRENTICESHIPS There is a degree apprenticeship in power engineering. This is a master’s degree level apprenticeship which takes five years to complete. You could apply for this after completing your A-levels. You would typically need to have achieved A-levels in maths and physics or chemistry at grade A for this apprenticeship.

There is also a Level 3 Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician Apprenticeship. This specifically includes the option for wind turbine technician where you would learn to: • install, assemble and dismantle wind turbine plants and equipment, which will include pitch systems, yaw systems, switchgear, and control systems.

• carry out planned, unplanned and preventative maintenance procedures on wind turbine plants and equipment, including mechanical drive systems • replace, repair and/or remove components in wind turbine plants and equipment and ensure its return to operational condition.

• diagnose and determine the cause of faults in wind turbine plants and equipment.

Entry requirements for all apprenticeships are decided by the employer but to apply for this, you will normally need three GCSEs at grades A* - C or 9 – 4.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

THE HOTEL MANAGER

H

otels come in all shapes and sizes, from small boutique hotels to large chain-brand hotels. The hotel manager is responsible for the day to day management and direction of a hotel and the staff who work there.

Hotel managers plan, oversee and ensure the smooth running of all of the hotel services, from reservations to housekeeping. They don’t just wander around the hotel checking that everything is being done and that guests are happy; hotel managers also have budgetary responsibilities and so need to have commercial awareness.

A lot of the work that a hotel manager does is office-based but a great deal of time will be spent with hotel guests.

Communication, diplomacy and patience are very important skills for anyone doing this job. If you wanted a career working in hotels abroad then being able to speak another language would be helpful.

HOW TO BECOME A HOTEL MANAGER There are no set requirements for the role of hotel manager but you can expect employers to be looking for someone with at least an HND or a degree and experience.

It is possible to work your way up to the position of hotel manager from more junior positions and there are hospitality apprenticeships which offer a good way into the industry.

Some large hotel groups run management training programmes for graduates. These normally require you to have a 2:2 degree.

JOB PROSPECTS AND EARNINGS According to official labour market information job prospects for hotel managers are looking good between now and 2024 and the average starting salary is anywhere between £20,000 and £35,000, rising to between £40,000 and £50,000 with experience.

£

It goes without saying that as a hotel manager you should expect to work some unsociable hours, including weekends, late nights and bank holidays and that you will be expected to dress smartly.

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SPONSORED EDITORIAL

A REWARDING CAREER IN A

DYNAMIC SECTOR KATE NICHOLLS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF LICENSED MULTIPLE RETAILERS ON THE OPPORTUNITIES OF A REWARDING CAREER IN THE UK’S HOSPITALITY SECTOR.

T

he UK’s hospitality sector is dynamic, exciting and fun, with a wide range of versatile businesses trading on high streets across Britain. The range of roles on offer is as diverse as the companies themselves and a career in the hospitality sector could provide a fantastic opportunity to earn, learn and grow.

The sector itself is growing and many of its businesses have helped revitalise high streets around the UK. This growth means that businesses in the hospitality sector are always looking to hire.

We like to boast that a career working in a pub, bar, restaurant coffee shop or nightclub could take you from the bar to the boardroom. Within a few short years you could find yourself managing a venue and a team of your own, with a career progression that can offer regional and senior management roles.

Did you know – Stonegate Pub Company CEO Simon Longbottom was the inaugural winner of the ALMR Operations Managers Awards, working his way up from Manager at Mill House Inns to Chief Executive of a multimillion-pound company?

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The hospitality sector doesn’t just offer front-ofhouse roles, either.

With turnover in the hundreds of millions of pounds, the UK’s largest and most successful hospitality businesses are some of the most vibrant employers in the country. These businesses offer a fantastic range of opportunities across a wide range of roles as diverse of finance, PR, marketing, law, design and culinary arts.

As businesses, they are more than just food and drink providers, these are, in many cases, international companies with the reach and variety of some of the world’s most exciting employers.

The hospitality sector is also one in which you can learn as you work, growing from an apprenticeship chef to the head of a Michelin star kitchen.

The ALMR also runs an industry diploma scheme to help encourage young workers to learn, grow and prosper in this exciting sector.

The range of roles on offer is wideranging and diverse and there is every chance that you will be able to find a challenging, interesting and rewarding role to suit you.

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LINK Find out more at www.almr.org.uk /almr-diploma

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HOSPITALITY

WHERE COULD

A CAREER IN HOSPITALITY

TAKE YOU? GREAT FOR STARTING A CAREER AT ALL LEVELS FROM ENTRY TO MANAGEMENT, THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS BIG BUSINESS. Restaurants, pubs, hotels and tourist attractions – whatever floats your boat (maybe a cruise ship?) there’s plenty to choose from when it comes to careers in the hospitality industry.

HOTELS There are over 12,000 hotels in the UK and there are lots of different job roles in the hotel industry. From reception staff to porters, chefs and room attendants, there are lots of possibilities from entry-level roles that require no specific qualifications or training, to management and skilled roles which do.

Some services in hotels are available 24 hours a day – so even while the guests are sleeping; you might be busy keeping every going.

Working in a hotel would suit you if you like working with other people as it takes a whole team to run a hotel. If you are thinking of a front of house role where you deal directly with guests, then you need great communication skills – but really anyone working in a hotel should expect to come across guests.

?

DID YOU KNOW

EVENTS Events include anything from small meetings and conferences in hotels to large scale weddings, awards ceremonies, sporting events or music festivals.

The UK needs more

sous chefs

Because of the variety of event that exists, there is also a huge variety of job roles to choose from including those in exhibition services, suppliers, venues and organisation.

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RESTAURANTS In other European countries, working in a restaurant is seen as a perfectly sensible life-long career. Here in the UK, it is often seen as something to do while you are learning or waiting to start your career.

The UK restaurant industry employs around 700,000 people in lots of different roles from head chef or restaurant manager to service staff.

It might suit you working in a restaurant if you get on well with other people, are organised and attentive and enjoy a busy atmosphere.

PUBS AND CLUBS Pubs and clubs come in all shapes and sizes – big chains, small independents, serving food, not serving food, you name it.

If you work in a pub or club you can expect to do a variety of things – from serving behind the bar to cleaning and waiting on tables. With some training you might also do cellar work, which means preparing beers for use.

Working in the pub or club industry would suit you if you get on with people and don’t mind late nights. It is possible to progress from bar or waiting staff to team leader or manager roles.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS Visitor attractions can be found all over the UK. They include museums, theme parks, zoos and much more.

The leisure and tourism industry is huge and there are lots of careers to choose from. In addition to front line staff working in ticket offices and reception there are technical jobs which involve keeping machinery and exhibits in working order.

Most tourist attractions also have restaurants and coffee shops.

Large venues also outsource things like catering to external companies.

The opportunities can seem almost endless – there are jobs that involve hosting events, organising events or even educating groups of visitors and there are often really good opportunities to progress. Tourists like friendly faces and being looked after so this kind of work might suit you if you enjoy making sure that people have fun.

GETTING INTO A CAREER IN HOSPITALITY Hospitality is one of those industries where you are able to start your career in one job and work your way either up or in a sideways direction by training on the job and developing your skills.

You could choose to take an academic route or a vocational one into a career in hospitality – it very much depends on what you want to do and at what level. For some a foundation or bachelor’s degree in hospitality will be ideal, for others an NVQ or an apprenticeship will be a good option.

Foundation degrees combine work-based skills with academic ones. They typically take two years to complete.

Bachelor’s degrees normally take three years to complete (or four if they include a work placement year). They can be studied at some FE colleges and at university.

NVQs are national vocational qualifications. They are competency based. They are based on national occupational standards (NOS) and therefore offer learning and training that is in line with industry expectations.

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Bournemouth & Poole College

OPEN EVENT 6th March 4-8pm Ignite your future career, apply to Apprenticeships and courses Meet leading employers and exceptional teaching staff Explore incredible facilities and receive outstanding support

thecollege.co.uk/open 01202 205205 #bpcyourfuture

Turn your passion into a career

SKILLS

FIRST

IMPRESSIONS

COUNT

CUSTOMER SERVICE IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF MANY SECTORS, FROM RETAIL TO LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR?

I

n the Employer Survey Report, 39 per cent of employers said that people applying for jobs lacked customer handing skills. In any business, being able to deal with customers and clients well is important to making a business successful.

On the front line, in retail, the leisure industry and hospitality, customer service skills are even more important.

If you are going to do a good job and progress in any of these sectors, the following four skills are the most important.

A POSITIVE APPROACH

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

Regardless of whether you are tired and grumpy, this means smiling at customers, being helpful and being cheerful. If your customers feel unwelcome – they won’t come back and return business is important to your boss.

Make sure that you know your stuff, whether that’s the menu items, products that you are selling or the services that you offer. Customers want to be faced with someone that they can trust to advise them.

ATTENTIVENESS

PATIENCE

There is nothing worse than standing at a till area as a customer while the person serving you ignores you in favour of chatting with their work mate or simply looks bored and avoids all eye contact.

Believe it or not some customers can be a bit frustrating. Patience is a virtue when you work in customer service. This doesn’t mean rolling your eyes whilst putting up with it. It means smiling, staying calm and being polite.

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INFO Customer service job s are set to grow by nearly 10 per cen t by 2024 and more than 20 per cent of people working in custome r service roles will need replacing as they progress to management roles or retire.

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Engineer

LEISURE AND TOURISM

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX – WHY NOT PUT YOUR STEM SKILLS TO USE IN THE LEISURE AND TOURISM INDUSTRY AS A THEME PARK ENGINEER.

W

hen thinking about leisure and tourism careers you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s all about holiday reps, hotels, spas and sports facilities. We thought that it would be fun to take a look at some of the jobs that people do at theme parks – in particular we thought that we would highlight the workers who make the magic happen.

When you visit a theme park you will see people working in lots of different job roles.

There will be retail workers, catering and security staff and ride operators.

At the design stage of a theme park there will be concept artists, illustrators, graphic designers, interior designers and engineers.

Between them they will find a way to bring the magic to life.

Once the idea is there, it’s up to the engineers to work out how the rides will work - then work can begin on building the theme park.

Building the theme park takes a large team. This will include electrical, electronic, sound, and mechanical engineers using all sorts of skills, including video and film. In addition to engineers, building a theme park takes

Ainsley James is an electrical area manager for Thorpe Park Resort. Ainsley studied for a Level 3 NVQ and a BTEC Certificate in Engineering and completed an advanced engineering modern apprenticeship.

“As an engineer at the Thorpe Park Resort I ensure the safety of our guests at all times. Safety is of paramount importance and always our number one priority. To ensure this level of safety is achieved, every attraction is rigorously inspected and tested before each day of the operating season. Any malfunctions or repairs that require assistance are prioritised and rectified by the engineering team.

Behind the scenes there will be people working in HR, finance, admin roles, marketing, and management too.

Before anyone can get to work in the variety of job roles that exist at a theme park though, that theme park has to come about. This takes designers, engineers and builders of all types. Imagine designing and creating something that will bring so much fun and entertainment to people!

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carpenters, painters, sculptors and architects as well as health and safety professionals.

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ring fun “My role as electrical area manager is to organise the preventative, reactive and winter maintenance tasks and to ensure the smooth running of the attractions within my area.

“Throughout the winter when the park is closed to guests, each attraction is disassembled down to component level and inspected by an independent inspection body to ensure they’re all in a satisfactory condition.

When the inspection is completed and the

components have passed all the relevant checks the attraction is then rebuilt.

A full functional test must then be completed and once everything has passed inspection, we’re issued with a ‘declaration of conformity’.

This certificate proves that each attraction is safe to operate.

“I like to think that as a team we ensure families can come and enjoy a great visit to Thorpe Park. These visits are remembered and a great time for everyone to create fun memories and prove their courage by going on some of the terrifying rides we have – like ‘Stealth’ or ‘XX’.

“Our umbrella company, Merlin also runs a charity Merlin’s Magic Wand. The charity arranges days out for seriously ill, disabled and disadvantaged

children and this also has a positive impact on people’s lives around us.

“I was successful in securing an apprenticeship within a small engineering team responsible for the maintenance of a complete printing and binding factory in Colchester.

The training program lasted four years and involved attending college and onsite training to develop my skills and gain a qualification. Once my training was complete, I was lucky enough to be offered a full time job within the team.

“A good understanding of maths and science is essential.

The skills that I developed throughout

school and college have formed the basis of all the engineering decisions and projects I am able to undertake here on the resort.”

“Engineering involves finding solutions to problems or tasks. When a problem is rectified and the results are noticed, it gives me a great sense of achievement.

LINK With thanks to To morrow’s Engineers. To find out more visit www.tomorrowsen gineers.org.uk

“From a young age I was interested in finding out how everything works - this basically meant I would take everything apart with no idea how to put it back together!

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£20k-£80k+ GENERAL MANAGERS AVERAGE SALARY RANGE BUT CAN BE AS HIGH AS £200K AT LEADING VENUES

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A CAREER? A chance to discover the world?

A creative outlet?

Varied worklife?

Exclusive perks?

Lifelong career opportunities?

Training & development?

People focused workplace?

Is this sounds like you then consider a career in hospitality!

Want to know more?

Ask your school about booking a visit (its free!) or follow us on social media!

Hotelier General Manager Events Manager Guest Services Supervisor Global Hotel Marketing Executive Meeting Manager Corporate Sales Manager Back Office Supervisor Wedding Planner Attractions Manager Retail Events Representative Campaign Coordinator Resort Operations Manger Tourism Promotion Manager Festival Coordinator Cruise Director Resort Activities Coordinator

MY HOSPITALITY LIFE Developed by Edge Hotel School, My Hospitality Life is an exciting new careers programme that will support young peoples’ understanding of the hospitality sector. Schools have a range of offers to pick from, such as; hands on workshops, interactive career talks, class support and more! Contact MHL today for more information.

FIND OUT MORE: www.myhospitalitylife.com @Careers_MHL

Become a Swimming Teacher Develop essential skills for a career in sport Inspire the next generation of swimmers Work flexible hours with great pay

Find out more: swimming.org/ios

1968 to 2018

50 years of supporting land based careers

Aspire to the highest level with Capel

We have five centres across London with courses in animal management, environmental conservation, floristry, garden design, tree surgery, horticulture and more.

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For further information on our courses visit www.capel.ac.uk or come to one of our monthly advice sessions.

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