A study investigate what skills the UK ’s £ 24.2 billion ornamental sector will need in the futurity is being carry out , to provide perceptivity into potential training and resource gap .
Results from the survey will facilitate inform a acquisition strategy tailored to the diligence and provide data to suffer funding and resource decisions .
According to a report by Oxford Economics , the UK cosmetic industry supported 568,700 jobs in 2017 , amounting to 1.6 percent of total UK engagement .
The survey , which is co - fund by AHDB Horticulture , Royal Horticultural Society , Arboriculture Association , British Association of Landscape Industries , Chartered institute of Horticulture and Land Based Colleges Aspiring to Excellence following a pauperism identify by the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group , will see 1,000 decorative businesses contacted .
Hand roguing tulip in flush - Norfolk , April . mention : Gary Naylor Photography
Nathalie Key , knowledge exchange manager at AHDB , said:“This is a crucial opportunity to gain more elaborated insight into the current characteristics of the labour force in the ornamentals manufacture . It will help to ascertain the skills gaps that need to be addressed in the future and provide the information postulate to fasten the financial support to make those changes happen . ”
With the step-up in technical origination within horticultural yield , the survey will also consider the encroachment of automation on the attainment requirements of the workforce .
utter at AHDB ’s SmartHort league in March this class about the futurity of horticultural production , Simon Pearson , director of Lincoln Institute for Agri - Food Technology said : “ We involve a step change on breeding . We have to upskill agriculturist and think about how they will be using engineering science ; they ’ve got to be able to realise it and fix problems with the technology themselves . ”
Labour shortages are a critical result for many horticultural producers , with the NFU stating shortage of up to 30 per cent in the availability of labour . The pilotseasonal agricultural worker schemeannounced by the Government to permit 2,500 proletarian in 2019 does not utilise to the ornamental sector .
Steve Reed , Production Director at Wyevale Nurseries , said : “ It ’s hard to find masses with technical horticultural acquisition . Our nursery is place in an area with low unemployment and the work is seen as unskilled with no prospects , but acquire works is an implausibly satisfying and rewarding occupation .
“ Leadership skills will have slap-up importance in the future of our hands , to be able to lead seasonal workers and agency teams as the number of core staff reduce . electronic computer literacy will also only become more important . ”
The attainment survey is being conduct via phone by Pye Tait Consulting between April and June . An online survey is also useable to fill out here : pyetait.com / OHRG - Skills - Survey . If you would like further information or wish to participate in extra focus groups , please meet Michael Oberreuter on 01423 509433 or[email protected ] .
More information and resources to serve horticultural business offset the challenge of access to labour can be found atahdb.org.uk/smarthort .
