Green Flag judges’ skills recognised

The skills of 800 Green Flag judges will now be recognised against national standards as they adopt the use of the online tool greenSKILL.

Developed by Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for environmental and land-based industries in partnership with GreenSpace, the greenSKILL tool is being adopted as a continued professional development tool for the judges involved in the Green Flag Award scheme.

Lantra’s UK Head of Business Development, Tony Bird said: “greenSKILL records and monitors skills, qualifications and continuing professional development (CPD) – a clear must in a sector where skills are often developed in the workplace rather than in the classroom. greenSKILL is the tool to use to provide a structure for the green space sector, which will benefit the Green Flag Awards by providing a roadmap for skills development.”

The Green Flag Awards scheme is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces demonstrating that not only is the park / green space environmentally sound, but is well used, managed and held in high regard.

Skills Development Manager of The Institute of Parks and Green Space, Stuart Mansbridge, said: “greenSKILL has been adopted by the Green Flag Award scheme to record, track and plan the professional development of its judges. The management team wanted a bespoke system in place and the greenSKILL system could be tailored to our specific needs, allowing all judges to record their practical skills against national standards and offer a structured approach to continued professional development.”

The scheme, managed by the Green Flag Plus Partnership (Keep Britain Tidy, British Trust Conservation Volunteers and GreenSpace), is reliant on its team of dedicated volunteer judges to assess sites and provides the crucial link between the park / green space users and the managers of the scheme itself. In return judges are offered a unique opportunity for professional development and the dissemination of expertise.

Stuart continued: “We will be working with Lantra to implement greenSKILL and once judges receive their login details and are trained to use the system, it will become an excellent career management tool for them and provide the sector with a real indicator of its skills base.”

For more information on greenSKILL contact Lantra on 0845 707 8007 or The Institute of Parks and Green Space on 0118 946 9069.

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