An industry that is worth almost £10billion to UK economy, and which employs around 300,000 people, sounds like a promising bet for anyone entering the world of work or embarking on a career change.
But when that industry is facing a well-documented skills shortage, it means there really are an abundance of opportunities for well qualified and skilled employees.
The industry in question is horticulture and we are doing our very best to help bridge this skills gap amongst our horticulture students here at Hadlow with some really pioneering work.
This skills shortage was first formally identified in 2019 when a survey of 200 horticultural businesses by the Royal Horticultural Society found that 70% of them could not fill skilled vacancies.
The issue is of such pressing concern that the Government’s Horticulture Committee has been meeting with those involved in the sector to discuss the challenges faces and what can be done to address them.
In fact, they visited us at Hadlow College last week where we showcased exactly what we, as Kent’s only land-based college, are doing on our 265-acre site.
The proof that horticulture is definitely a vibrant and exciting sector to get into, is demonstrated by our new innovative orchard and vineyard which benefits from some robotic equipment.
It features state of the art technology such as automated spraying, robotic harvesting and the use of drones for mapping yield.
Last year also saw the opening of our new commercial nursery, comprising glasshouses with hydroponic growing facilities.
These facilities are at the forefront of our horticulture courses. These courses focus on not just helping students understand the sector, but equally as importantly on turning out a well-qualified, skilled, land-based workforce ready to hit the ground running.
In fact, exactly what has been identified as being in short supply in the sector!
Another benefit of a horticultural related qualification is that it opens the doors to a varied career path. Our students go on to work in a variety of fields from fresh produce to gardening to horticultural research and product development and everything in between.
Another benefit of a horticultural related qualification is that it opens the doors to a varied career path. Our students go on to work in a variety of fields from horticultural research and product development to fresh produce and gardening and everything in between.
In fact, key figures in the industry suggest that the demand for skills in the horticultural sector is set to grow even further in the future, particularly in more specialist and technical roles.
So, if you are weighing up your career choices and enjoying being outside, growing your own food and care about the sustainability of our planet, then you should consider a career in horticulture.
It is an industry with plenty of opportunities to grow, both literally and figuratively!
To explore in more depth the horticulture courses we offer, go to the Course Explorer section of our website.