Hadlow College is urging established commercial growers with employment needs, those employed in the sector and young people considering commercial horticulture as a career option to come forward and discuss their education, training and skill needs.
One of the four main sponsors of this year’s National Fruit Show and with a big presence planned at the event in Detling, the college has set up this initiative under the strapline ‘Fruit for Your Healthy Future’.
Hadlow has a long-established policy of taking advice from the industry in order to adapt the curriculum to changing needs in the land-based sector. This open invitation goes a step further, and forms part of the fresh produce strategy designed to take the college’s partnership with the industry an important step forward.
Climatic changes demand some big changes in commercial horticulture, said Hadlow, and the industry must respond to increasing consumer demand for British-grown produce, aligned to which there is potential to extend into new ranges. As one of the UK’s leading land-based colleges, Hadlow believes it is in an ideal position to help the entire industry to benefit from these new challenges.
Sally Flanagan, Hadlow’s business and workforce development manager, believes the industry is set for an exciting expansion, but she warns: “Training and skills will be more important than ever before, and this applies to employers, those in supervisory roles and the workforce in general. Increased production must be aligned to quality assurance, and this is unlikely to be achieved without complementary training.”
No comments yet