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Never talk to real grafting gardeners, do they?

Check out this article

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/11776595/Life-as-a-gardener-Would-you-swap-your-desk-for-muddy-boots.html

How do you persuade school leavers that horticulture is a career worth getting out of bed for? That’s the challenge for those behind the industry’s Horticulture Matters campaign. In 2012 they revealed that 70 per cent of 18-year-olds regarded horticulture as only for dummies, i.e. those who “failed academically”. The most recent statistics from the National Careers Service suggest that it will be an uphill struggle to make horticulture cool – in 2014 there were just 8,000 page views on its website for the job profile of horticultural worker compared with more than 400,000 for teaching assistant.

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  • PRO

    I read that article as well yesterday - in fact I kept it for reference.

    Anyone that knows me, knows it's a subject I am passionate about and have raised it many times.

    Those at the top of our "indusrty" are busy self promoting, while our next generation are being badly served by our education and career 'experts'.

    I worry for the future of Horticulture, in all its forms ....

  • I think there may well be a bit of truth that horticulture attracts those who "failed academically" From my experience, a lot of "practical" or "manual" jobs are very similar. When I think of the bricklayers, plasterers, plumbers, electricians I have known, none of them have really done well academically. If I'm honest, a lot of routine garden maintenance I carry out is unskilled and much as I hate to say it, anyone with a bit of "commonsense" who is reasonably practical could carry it out.   When I first started work in the parks department of the council, again, the majority of staff hadn't done well on the academic front and I virtually had to plead with them to consider me as I was apparently "over qualified" with a couple of A levels. Unfortunately, gardening work tends to be quite low paid compared to many of the other "practical" or "manual" jobs and physically, quite demanding so unless you actually enjoy the work,which I can see a lot of forum members, including myself, , its not a particularly attractive proposition.  I reckon the only way to attract school leavers is for the wages to be substantially improved which would also improve the "status" of the job............ unfortunately, with the impression that many people have that "anyone can do it", I can't see that happening.

    • PRO

      I think we need to 'talk' our industry up, rather than accept/state it can be performed by unskilled staff.

      It's key to divorce the issue of being "unacdaemic" vs "unskilled". Many successful business people, with few qualifications, have gone onto become ultra successful.

      Anyone can cut grass, but not many can cut it well according to local climatic considtions. Same for Horticuluture etc. Bricklaying? Anyone can build a wall, but to get it plumb, good looking and fit for purpose takes a skilled individual

      Finally, if you want proof about "unskilled" jobs ... it must be Polictics :) It appears anyone can be a Politician with no training or skill and look what they state they got the counrty into ....

      • Agree there, we do need to "talk" the industry up but can be very difficult when you look at the facts.......there's no doubt at all that there is a lot of skill and knowledge required to maintain a garden/site to "correct" horticultural standards and that really should demand a high wage ...........unfortunately,that is not what the majority appear to want in my experience..........  they want everything "neat and tidy" with everything "trimmed", grass short and edged and no weeds and that is all they want.... they don't care that you're not thinning out that old wood from that large Forsythia........ they want it done quickly so it looks neat and tidy at a good price............. an "unskilled" short back and sides with the Stihl!! I wish it wasn't that way. Maybe I've got the wrong customers!!   I'm sure the majority of forum members are "skilled" and may well have done months, if not years of training... myself included.......but are these skills  necessary?  The majority of us will have done spraying/chainsaw training but this is only a couple of weeks training.Whilst the majority of our work is unskilled, I just can't see how we can command the high wages that are needed to attract youngsters.

        ps........ Not sure about "anyone can build a wall"   I've tried and an absolute disaster lol:) As for getting it plumb etc....... couldn't even make it to that stage!

  • PRO

    In the article, there is reference to, not be able to find knowledgeable gardeners. But what incentive is their to learn?

    Learning horticulture takes time, ability and committment, where is the the recompense for this?

    Practical how to grow, what's this, when to prune, etc may not be traditonal academic subjects but they still require accumulating vast hort knowledge i.e. using your head

    There is as much tech, science, plant biology, maths not to mention art, design and garden history to keep any young person intellectually stimulated.

    Gardening is not 'for those failing' but for those wanting real challenges in the 4D outdoor world, of Britain's glorious landscapes and gardens.

    Come join us, should be our message, real work, real life.

    • PRO

      Agree. I a firm believer in self fulfiling prophecies : Positive messages will help to entice prospective students, educate clients that we 'add value', help lift the low wages that seem to be expected.

      I won't accept a statement that our work is unskilled - under valued yes - both by people in the industry and clients.

      It's easy after years in the job to do what we do as second nature and we forget all the effort it took to get there... to learn 'that' skill.

      Also, I'd like to see us not shooting ourselves in the foot

  • The problem is that much of the population do feel that anyone can do our job. In reality the majority of people maintain their own gardens, just as their parents probably did. It is generally not to the standard of a professional horticulturalist but most people can't see or understand the difference. So they feel that this demonstrates that it is an unskilled profession. They can't and don't do their own electrics or plumbing but do maintain their own garden. So clearly (in their perception) horticulture is less skilled than these other trades and thus worth lower financial reward.

    Secondly you require the services of a plumber, electrician or mechanic once in a while. So people are more willing to pay the higher prices. Where as garden maintenance is a weekly (or at least regular) bill , which makes price significantly more important to them.

    Until we can overcome these attitudes, pay won't increase, and until it does it will be harder to attract the best newcomers to the industry. As an inustry we need to be publisising the benefits a qualified professional can offer, and the difference between unskilled maintenance, and what we as professionals provide, so that people start to see us as equal to other skilled trades.

    • Agree with both of Chris's points, I do think that's why people don't want to pay more for gardening work, they can on the whole do it themselves but don't fancy doing it.  ALso the regularity of the work compared to other trades is much different.  Don't take it for granted though, I've spoken to other tradesmen who envy the gardener such is the constant work.  

      Yes we need to be able to earn a living but at the end of the day I do the job because I enjoy it mostly, a lot of the time I feel like it's not a proper job such is my enjoyment.  There are so many people out there who hate their jobs, who live for the weekend, I don't and to me you can't put a price on that.

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