A college in Worcestershire is launching a new forum for employers in horticulture to ensure it is supporting the priorities of the sector.
Pershore College is introducing the new forum to learn more about the current issues employers are facing and how the college can support.
Attendees will be given a tour of the facilities at the college, which is part of WCG, and a chance to network with others within the industry.
The first forum will be held on Friday 6 December and is set to attract growers, nurseries, arborists, landscapers and more from across Worcestershire.
Pershore College, a national centre for horticulture, has been training the developing skilled individuals for the horticulture sector for 70 years.
It offers a range of full-time courses from Level 1 to Level 3, part-time Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) courses for adults, apprenticeship and degree programmes.
The college features a state-of-the-art Agri-Tech Research Centre, which includes a research and teaching laboratory specialising in development of plant diagnostic technologies and indoor vertical farm.
Bal Padda runs Vicarage Nurseries in the Vale of Evesham and is one of the horticulture employers planning to join the new employer forum.
He has a team of 10 full-time staff and 200 season workers, specialising in strawberry and raspberry growing, and supplies to UK retailers alongside wholesalers and farmers markets.
Bal moved to the UK from Punjab in 1994 and is the only known Asian grower in the UK, he wants to work with the college to highlight the wide range of career opportunities in horticulture.
Bal said: “Horticulture and farming are diverse, from the people coming into the sector to the range of jobs that you can pursue. There are so many opportunities for people in the sector, it isn’t just growers, and we want to work with the college to help highlight those.
“The next generation is told that the world is instant, I want to show that you can grow, nurture and be part of something. It is crucial we engage young people for the future of the sector.
“It’s really important that the college is listening to growers and moulding the courses to what we need in the industry. That is what I’m hoping to get across at the forum.”
Josh Egan-Wyer, Head of Horticulture at Pershore College, said: “It’s absolutely crucial that we hear from people in the industry about what they are experiencing and what they need to see from education to support them.
“Horticulture is an ever-evolving industry which is at the heart of new technologies, but it is also facing a skills crisis. This is one of the challenges we will be exploring at the session.
“We welcome employers from across the horticulture sector to join the forum and have a conversation with us about the future.”
John Colclough, Head of Business Development at WCG, added: “This forum is part of our expanded employer engagement programme, which we are rolling out across a range of industries from our colleges. We look forward to working in partnership with employers to ensure we are delivering the skills they need to thrive.”
Horticulture employers interested in finding out more and attending the event can reserve their place at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/horticulture-employers-forum-tickets-1053443671379
To find out more about horticulture and agri-tech at Pershore College visit https://wcg.ac.uk/page/20/horticulture-and-agritech