Lantra says now is the time to invest in skills

[This article was supplied to Landscape Juice by Lantra] Research shows that businesses who do not train are 2.5 times more likely to fail than those who do. Add to the fact that training has shown to boost staff productivity by 4% per employee, and that for every £1 invested in training the return can be between £3 and £6, it is easy to see why skills are essential to the success, and sometimes even survival, of businesses in the current climate. So who is there to help to ensure the right training for you? Licensed by the UK Government, Lantra Sector Skills Council is an employer-led organisation that works with landscaping businesses to tackle their skill needs so they can improve their performance and productivity. In a nutshell, their aim is simple - to work with industry to help them get the most out of the skills system, and help the skill system get the most out of the sector. So what does this mean for the Arboriculture Association? Lantra represents your views on skills so need you to work with them to make sure that the voice they have is the right one. But, Lantra should not be confused with Lantra Awards, who specialise in qualifications and training for people in the land-based sector through a network of local approved centres and training providers. Lantra does not deliver any training but works closely with landscapers, gardens and other horticulture organisations and their employers to identify business and industry needs so that they can benefit from more effective funding and training opportunities. They do this in a variety of ways and there are lots of opportunities for you to get involved. Lantra has established industry and virtual groups, made up of members from horticulture, landscaping and sports turf businesses from across the UK who bring a breadth of expertise and knowledge to the group, which work with Lantra throughout the year to ensure that there is a good understanding of the industry and the skills needs of businesses and individuals and to develop good standards and qualifications. Lantra also hosts a range of consultations throughout the year to give industry the opportunity to tell them what you need, whether it is on the latest qualifications, to review apprenticeships or to identify exactly what skills your job involves. This can be done in a way to suit you such as attending meetings, responding to questionnaires, working in small groups to look at specific issues or simply by email or telephone but it is important that you get involved. But why should you get involved? By getting involved you can take control of the standards that define your industry. For example, one of the most important consultations is on what is known as National Occupational Standards (NOS). NOS identify the essential building blocks - the detailed knowledge, understanding, ability and experience that somebody needs if they are to carry out a role effectively. These standards form the basis of many vocational qualifications, so they need to be completely up-to-date to best reflect how the industry currently operates and so they can be easily understood by everyone. They can be used to help identify the sorts of skills needed for their workforce and to identify best practice, develop training and recruitment plans, develop job descriptions and also recognise what training needs are required. So if the NOS are not right, then qualifications and so on will not be fit for purpose. Qualifications and skills can help all industries to achieve a more productive and safer environment, better staff retention, greater job satisfaction, more new entrants to the workforce, and a greater influence with government to get better support from funding agencies. Without your input, Lantra’s work will not be complete. For more information about Lantra call 0845 707 8007, email connect@lantra.co.uk or visit www.lantra.co.uk. Alternatively sign up to Connect, Lantra’s industry magazine, for the all the latest news and events at www.lantra.co.uk/connect-magazine.