National Apprenticeship Week: Q&S supports Future Gardeners
At Q&S we’re always pleased to see the progress our apprentice horticulturalists make.
Alongside our Q&S Train to Grow apprenticeship programme, we like to support wider industry initiatives that help open the doors to careers in gardening.
One such initiative is the Future Gardeners programme, run by Bankside Open Spaces Trust - they help budding gardeners build up their knowledge and skills so they’re all set for entry-level jobs in horticulture.
And it’s thanks to Future Gardeners that we have had the fabulous Fred on-site for the last 2 weeks, working with our gardening team at British Land’s Broadgate Campus.
Fred is currently studying towards his Horticulture Level 1 City & Guilds and hopes this work experience will lead to permanent work in the industry, as well as the know-how to grow his own food, eventually on land of his own.
During his placement with us, Fred has seen how busy and versatile the life of a gardener is. Supporting the Q&S garden maintenance teams with weeding, mulching, planting, bed preparation, watering, litter clearing and tool maintenance.
His highlight so far “learning how to prepare a planting bed from scratch; layering sand, soil and aggregate whilst working on the terraces - sneaking a peek at the fabulous views across London.”
Fred told us he’s really enjoyed working with the Q&S gardeners and admitted his most valuable takeaways will be how to plant perennials, pruning, soil preparation, tool sharpening and understanding when and how to water plants effectively. All practical skills to help build his gardening confidence.
Most importantly, this short stint with the team has strengthened Fred’s desire to keep learning, he added “the more challenges I see, the more I want to overcome them.” It’s been a pleasure having Fred working with us and we look forward to hearing where his gardening studies take him next.
Supporting emerging talent – either through our own Train to Grow apprenticeship or through collaborations with programmes like Future Gardeners – is the most impactful way we future-proof knowledgeable and highly-skilled sustainable practices in the horticultural industry.
To find out more about our Train to Grow apprenticeship programme contact
