If you have a passion for the outdoors and have horticulture knowledge and skills, then there are many job opportunities available for you. Horticulture is a hugely diverse worldwide industry, worth some £9billion to the UK economy alone where it provides employment to over 300,000 people.
This theme to the messages delivered by industry speakers at Greenmount’s Horticulture Careers Event were from a variety of horticulture sectors including landscaping, sports turf, garden heritage, garden centre management and plant production.
Speaker Neville Stein of Ovation Business Consultants highlighted to the students the importance of good people skills and having a passion for plants to work in the garden retail sector. Phil Tremayne of the Association of Professional Landscapers identified the resurgence of growth in the landscape sector in certain parts of the UK and highlighted the severe skills shortage as a real opportunity for students. Michael Loughran, Course Superintendent for the Hilton Golf Club in Templepatrick and Education Officer for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland informed the audience of the highly technical and managerial skills he needed in his day to day responsibilities.
Part-time Foundation Degree student, David Love Cameron then gave a very interesting and passionate account of his recent job helping to establish an organic heritage fruit and vegetable garden for top chef Raymond Blanc, at his Michelin star restaurant Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons in Oxford. Mark Finnegan, CAFRE’s Cut Flower Advisor highlighted the opportunities within the local cut flower sector to supply local florists and small retailers. Finally, ex student Averil Milligan, Head Gardener at Rowallane Garden informed the audience of the National Trust’s ‘Historic and Botanic Gardens Bursary Scheme’, designed to enhance horticultural skills to secure the future in the Heritage sector.
This annual student event at Greenmount highlighted job and work placement opportunities for students and was supported by a host of employers and industry bodies. It was run in parallel to the Growers NI Trolley & Plant Fair 2015, where 25 nurseries displayed their ranges of ornamental plants to potential buyers from the landscaping and garden retail sectors.
