• Swindon & Wiltshire News
• Thursday May 26 2022
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Wiltshire College to host land-based trade show and careers fair

Wiltshire College & University Centre is to host a land-based trade show and careers fair this summer to celebrate and promote the diverse range of options available across the sector.

The event will take place at the Lackham campus – home to the College’s diverse range of land-based courses – on Friday, July 1 from 10am to 3pm and has a particular focus on landscape and horticulture trades.

Industry suppliers and employers are encouraged to take part in the event by holding trade or information stands and a number of leading organisations have already registered, including the National Trust and the Forestry Commission, as well as industry-leading equipment manufacturers and service providers such as Kersten, Dennis and EcoSulis.

Schools and visitors are welcome to attend as the show aims to showcase the varied career options available and provide students with the opportunity to meet with potential employers.

The show will also promote innovation within the industry from area experts as well as provide key sector associations with potential collaboration and partnership opportunities.

The College’s Lackham campus is an important land-based education centre which promotes productivity and sustainability and provides its students with the skills and knowledge to support land-based industries. Set in 1,000 acres of Wiltshire countryside with a series of greenhouses, encompassing woodlands, wetlands, sports pitches and amenity lawns, there is no end of outdoor space for students to learn their trade.

Lackham is also a Royal Horticulture Society-certified training centre and all courses are designed to meet the demands and needs of both students and employers.

Victoria Fiander, assessor in horticulture at Lackham and the event organiser, said: “We’re delighted to be able to host a trade show and careers fair at Lackham to showcase the vast opportunities available within the horticulture and landscape industries. We’re pleased so many organisations have already agreed to take part.

“The horticulture and landscape industries are continuing to diversify and adapt in relation to sustainability and in response to the global climate crisis. By responding positively to these challenges, the industry will benefit from expanding business opportunities and an abundance of career opportunities.

“As a training provider of a wide range of horticultural qualifications, collaboration with industry is essential to ensure learners are in alignment with current industry ideas and solutions.

“This enables us to train our students to industry standards, provide demonstration of best practice and gives added value to employers looking for a highly-skilled workforce that can respond to future challenges.”

A spokesperson for agriculture equipment manufacturer Kersten, who will have a trade stand at the show, said: “We need talent in the horticultural industry who have the knowledge to develop and maintain our environment economically, using sustainable methods.

“They need to be able to challenge long-established practices to meet the changing needs of a balanced environment. We need education to keep abreast of changes, ideas and developments.”

Chippenham-based Johnstone Landscape are one of the UK’s most trusted landscaping companies and will be supporting the show. They currently employ three landscape apprentices through the College.

A spokesperson said: “The apprenticeship programme appealed to our business because recruitment was becoming more and more difficult. We accepted our first apprentice four years ago and they are now an extremely knowledgeable and well-respected team member. We must support learning in this way as for newcomers to the industry to progress, it is important they have a recognised qualification standard.”

Further businesses and organisations are welcome to register to participate and can do so by visiting . Schools and visitors can also register their attendance.

For more information on the event, contact Victoria Fiander via victoria.fiander@wiltshire.ac.uk