Founded in 2008. The Landscape Juice Network (LJN) is the largest and fastest growing professional landscaping and horticultural association in the United Kingdom.
LJN's professional business forum is unrivalled and open to anyone within within the UK landscape industry
LJN's Business Objectives Group (BOG) is for any Pro serious about building their business.
For the researching visitor there's a wealth of landscaping ideas, garden design ideas, lawn advice tips and advice about garden maintenance.
Replies
There is a apprenticeship website www.apprenticeships.org.uk which explains the options - you can find one and get them on a scheme or they'll do a needs analysis and help you find someone.
Most ( up to 100% ) of course fees are offset ( depending on age, course etc)
For a limited time there is a one grant of £1500 payableto the employer to help.
Please, please do not consider as a route to chep labour as you 'can' pay them below normal NMW rates. I believe that's a lap in their face and gives little incentive or loyalty. We pay a fair rate based on age and experience.
I know some have then apprenticeships on and paid them ( I think £2.60 per hour) and older why they leave etc.
I have both on my work force and to be honest they are both very useful.
The older experienced gardeners obviously are easier to employ as they know what they are doing but expect to pay a decent amount of money. i think as long as you respect and value their knowledge you will not have a problem with tension. After all you are the businessman the employees are the ones that should have the knowledge of the subject. I always try to employ people far superior to my own knowledge.
Apprentices are great as you can combine using them as cheap labour but making sure you teach them along the way, its about getting the balance right. one word of caution with apprentices though, you may have to kiss several frogs before you find your prince.
I very often put my older experienced gardener with my apprentice and the balance works very well as the passion of the older rubs off on the younger.
I hope you find my comments helpful and good luck!
We haven't gone down the apprentice route, but i had always thought that the low apprentice wage was to partly offset the time the employer will put into the 'partnership', taking time with structured education in employment. Starting at the low point also gives plenty of room for manoeuvre as skill levels rise, which would also be part of the education - ie the more you put in - the more you get out.
Maybe that's just my old fashioned wiew.
Gary @ 360 said:
I'm not suggesting anyone pay them at full rates, but our guy massively contributes to the business already. He's conscientious, prompt, a live wire which keeps us all on our toes. He questions what we do and why based on what he has learnt at college, which is one day per week.
I could not and will not use him purely as cheap labour and pay £2.60 per hour - perhaps that is just me? You get his college fees paid up to 100%, with a £1500 grant available to offset any 'other costs'.
I'm sure someone can quote NMW for various ages and in my mind that is a sensible starting point, not the paltry apprentice rate.
As a matter of interest Gary, do you have to work to a curriculum of sorts or does he just work and learn on site with the jobs you happen to be doing, leaving the teaching side to the college?
I know exactly what you mean about the 'live-wire' aspect. We have always employed a youngster, most just want to 'give it a go' for a year and move on. Some have been great company and others not so.................. but that's life!
One of us monitors what's goes on and are always within ear shot.
We get to know what they are up to at college in advance, so look for opportunities for him to exploit hs training, but we do get to 'mould' him ;-)
Here are some previous discussions: Apprenticeships
We always try to teach him something new every day and we take pictures of him doing it so he can add it to his portfolio.
I have missed out on the grant which is a shame because it does cost money to get all the equipment he needs and the time to train them to use machinery and how to do certain jobs is very often dead time.