by Rachael Forsyth | 26 Aug 26 | Careers, Commercial Landscaping, Domestic Landscaping, Grounds Maintenance, News
More than 90% of young people would consider an apprenticeship over a university degree, a new survey from the skills charity Enginuity has revealed, and 71% of parents would encourage them to do so – up from 67% in 2025.
One thousand parents and their children (aged 11-18) were interviewed about their current attitudes towards vocational pathways to work.
With the cost-of-living crisis, many people are querying the viability and sense in taking on massive amounts of debt without a guarantee of a job in the process.
30% of young people and 33% of parents had never heard of T Levels, while 42% of young people and 45% of parents said that they had heard of them but needed further information.
In 2026, 95% of parents said they were interested in knowing more about apprenticeships that allow young people to “earn while they learn”, and 91% of young people said the same.
There is a growing appreciation of apprenticeships as a credible choice that combines affordability, practical experience and progression into skilled careers. The challenge of apprenticeship legitimacy is diminishing, with both young people and parents increasingly open to and interested in these pathways.
The focus must now shift to strengthening high-quality careers guidance and ensuring routes into apprenticeships are clear, accessible and easy to navigate.
by Holly Chapman | 11 Nov 25 | News, Sustainability
A new report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reveals a slowdown in the global demand for sustainable buildings due to a lack of strong policy interventions and skills development.
The report is based on input from more than 3,500 real estate and construction professionals across 36 countries.
The RICS 2025 Sustainability Report also finds that despite the continued need for green and resilient real estate, demand growth has notably weakened, particularly across the Americas, but also across Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Initial high costs and uncertainty about returns remain the biggest deterrents to investment, finds the research, even while investors continue to value green certifications and climate-resilient assets.
Nicholas Maclean, RICS president comments on the findings:
“Transformation across the built environment is necessary if we are to meet the challenge of climate change. This important RICS research shows progress, but also clear signs of fatigue and uncertainty.”
To encourage climate progress, the report urges policymakers to introduce mandatory whole-life carbon reporting for all construction projects, set national emissions limits aligned to net-zero pathways and expand incentives and financing for green retrofits and low-carbon materials.
by Holly Chapman | 09 Oct 25 | Commercial Landscaping, Domestic Landscaping, FutureScape News, News
The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) has unveiled its new The Lay of the Land 2025 report at FutureScape.
Within the Pro Landscaper Theatre at Excel London on Wednesday 8 October, BALI’s chief executive Wayne Grills and Amy Cobbett, head of policy outlined BALI’s first annual member report which captures the voice of the UK landscaping industry.
Cobbett explains, “BALI recognises that in order to actively advocate for our members, we had to understand what are their biggest concerns? What are they prioritising?”
After a questionnaire was put out to BALI members, the association could try and gauge the mood of the industry and the areas of concern and opportunity. “The result is this report,” says Cobbett.
The report lies as a base for BALI’s advocacy work as well as conversations with government and industry whilst understanding its membership in order to actively work for them.
“We want to place BALI as a solution to a lot of the government’s concerns.”
Grills says, “This is a benchmark and springboard for us and how we move forward in the future. Our industry is important and we want to get in with those policymakers and get them to understand how vital we are to local communities and wider climate change issues.”
Explore the full report here.
by Holly Chapman | 22 Sep 25 | News
Land Use Consultants (LUC) has released its 2024 financial report, highlighting its growth as an employee-owned company.
The report mentions LUC’s rise in turnover in comparison to 2023. The year ended on a turnover of £24.37m, which is a 13.5% increase from the year before.
Profit after tax also increased by 19.4%, as its balance sheet includes net assets reaching £4.31m. “This was driven by improved cash generation and enhanced working capital management,” reads the report.
Standing at 311 employees at year end, women represent 60% of the workforce, with a staff turnover of 19%.
Rob Booth, chief executive of LUC since the beginning of 2025, says “employee ownership influences everything we do,” adding:
“These results show that LUC can grow sustainably while continuing to invest in our people, capabilities and client service. Despite uncertain markets, we remain resilient and are well positioned to continue to deliver meaningful impact for nature, people and places.”
The company board continues its implementation of its new strategy, first introduced in 2024, focusing on client service, LUC’s people and profitability until 2028.
by Bethany Vann | 04 Sep 23 | News, Supplier News
plants@work is introducing a new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy for all its members and teams, in a bid to eliminate unlawful discrimination and support fair representation to all sectors.
The policy includes commitments to provide equality and respect to all members of the team, protect against unlawful discrimination as referred to in the Equality Act 2010, and encourage fair and professional practice.
plants@work ambassador Ian Drummond, says: “I am so pleased to see this important policy launched at plants@work, supporting equality for everyone no matter what their gender, beliefs leanings or skin colour.”
The full policy can be found here.
