GoLandscape is an initiative that seeks to encourage school leavers to consider a career in landscaping, challenge false perceptions and demonstrate the broad range of skills that are used within the industry.

A career in the landscaping industry can be incredibly exciting and rewarding, just the fact that you are working outdoors could be incentive enough. Landscapers make huge differences to outdoor spaces, turning over-run or barren areas into places of beauty and function. With it being such a varied sector, incorporating different job roles, it appeals to lots of different people with differing skill sets.

There are several ways in which pupils can begin their journey into the industry upon completion of school. They may choose to go into full-time further education, with courses available from entry-level to BSc, there is a huge choice when it comes to qualifications in landscaping and horticulture.

Apprenticeships are very much in the news at the moment. Pupils can work with a company and also study a work-based qualification a day a week with a local college, meaning they are learning the trade while on the job. Most apprenticeships last 1 – 2 years, but there are also higher-level apprenticeships (Level 3 and now Level 5), which are equivalent to A levels/higher certification and can lead on to professional and managerial roles.

GoLandscape is here to promote the industry, inspire people to join it, and support them. We are able to offer advice and answer questions you may have about the different roles available within the industry and routes to employment.

GoLandscape will continue to work with the BALI Chalk Fund to provide support to the college network to be able to make a real difference in training the landscapers of tomorrow by accessing grants to support the enrichment programmes in colleges to deliver further training for industry tickets to make students more employable to employers looking to take on younger and more mature staff in their workforce. This may include the likes of sprayer operator tickets, hedge trimming, strimming, chainsaw use, mower driving etc.

At GoLandscape, we are keen to work with teachers, careers advisers and parents in helping them understand what it’s like to work in the landscape industry, the benefits, the routes available, and opportunities for progression.

In addition, we will continue to deliver on our promise to maintain a presence at careers events in schools and colleges, and career changer events, such as Armed Forces Resettlement events through our network of GoLandscape Ambassadors.

We have a network of around 60 trained industry GoLandscape Ambassadors who attend careers events to showcase the diverse range of roles and opportunities within the industry.