JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018 - 177

H O RT I C U LT U R E

How much can I earn? Salaries usually
start at around £18,000, rising to around
£65,000 with experience.

Commercial grower
This involves the growing, distribution
and selling of food crops or plants and
flowers. You may specialise in a particular
area, such as soft fruits, and there are
employment opportunities within food
companies, farms or garden centres.
What skills and qualifications do I
need? You'll need a certificate or diploma
in horticulture, agriculture or soil/earth
sciences, as well as commercial awareness
and good organisational and teamwork
skills. Experience is helpful.
How much can I earn? From £18,000 to
£40,000 or more at a senior level.

It isn't a niche industry - 300,000
people work in the industry in the
UK and it contributes £5bn to the UK
economy every year

Green fingers?
Despite
employing
300,000 people,
the horticulture
sector has a
recruitment
problem.
According to
the RHS, 70%
of businesses
struggle to
find the skilled
workers.
The WRAG
(Work and
Retrain As
a Gardener)
Scheme provides
hands-on

practical training.
Trainees work
14 hours a week
for a year under
the instruction
of the owner or
head gardener.
The scheme can
fit around current
work and other
commitments.
It appeals to
those who
are looking to
change careers,
including many
women returning
to work after
starting a family.

Find out more
* Arboricultural Association
trees.org.uk
* Grow Careers
horticulture.org.uk/grow-careers/
* Institute of Groundsmanship
iog.org
* Royal Horticultural Society
rhs.org.uk

J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 1 7 7


http://trees.org.uk http://horticulture.org.uk/grow-careers/ http://www.iog.org http://rhs.org.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018

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