Tips to help you move into the horticulture sector
Looking for a career change into horticulture? Have a look at these tips to help you make the move
Horticulture Week recently reported on the various options for work and training that are open to you if you’re moving into the horticulture profession from outside the sector.
Colleges across Britain offer a range of courses in horticulture and many of them are attended by career changers, so it’s not only school leavers who are training for horticulture careers.
“These days, career changers are the lifeblood of the profession”, Steve Dowbiggin, principal at Capel Manor College, told Horticulture Week.
If you’re looking to move into the horticulture sector, here are some tips to consider:
- As a first step, consider completing the RHS general qualification
- You can do horticulture courses in your spare time to work out if this is the right sector for you before leaving your current job
- You can progress onto levels 2 and 3 RHS qualifications, offered by most land-based colleges such as Pershore
- Consider the Historic & Botanic Garden Training Programme (HBGTP) which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. As a trainee you can get your fees paid for, as well as a small bursary
- Private courses tailored to career changers could also be a good option for you to consider. The London College of Garden Design offers a one-year garden design diploma and a shorter six-month course
- Once you are in the industry, you can follow in the footsteps of other career changers who have gone into agro-tech, garden design, production horticulture or general grounds maintenance
- When you have gained enough experience, you can go on to set up your own business
Read the original article on Horticulture Week: Career changers to horticulture