The future of gardening as a career
There are questions that are repeated over and over. One is from young people considering their future in the working world, “Where can I find a meaningful career?” and the other from employers, “Where can I find good help?”
It seems that we could use a match-maker of sorts: employers with job seekers.
Why horticulture?
We work in a profession that abounds with job opportunities and now is one of the best times to seek work here as the season is exploding before us.
The biggest challenge for the gardening profession is finding and keeping good help. Fact is there are many career opportunities in landscaping, nursery growing, grounds maintenance and retail horticulture.
However, just like plumbers, carpenters and electricians, professional gardeners and landscapers must ‘work their way up’ and prove themselves before they will become “better paid” supervisors or partners in the firm. Post-secondary education can help move you up the ladder.
The future of horticulture
In Ontario, there are 12 permanent post- secondary schools that offer degree and diploma programs in the diverse field of horticulture. At a recent ceremony where 18 horticultural scholarship award winners were assembled, we had the opportunity to ask them questions about their choice of profession. Here are some of the results.
• “The future of horticulture looks sustainable and environ-