Skills to grow: 7 priorities to improve green space skills An update from the National Cabe Space...
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Transcript of Skills to grow: 7 priorities to improve green space skills An update from the National Cabe Space...
Skills to grow: 7 priorities to improve green space skills
An update from the National Cabe Space Strategyby Nick Jones
Green Space South West
Training skills workshop
09 December 2008
The green space skills gap evidence
base
‘The skills base in green
space management has
wasted away resulting in low
skilled and poorly motivated
staff, and difficulties in
recruiting. This has been
accompanied by a loss of
confidence, vision and focus
from professions’
2002 : Urban green spaces taskforce
Components of sustainable
communities:
‘Well-maintained, local, user-
friendly public and green spaces
with facilities for everyone
including children and older
people’
‘Protecting and improving
natural resources and
biodiversity’
2004 : The Egan review – skills for sustainable communities
‘Our parks and green spaces are facing a crisis just as their value to society is being rediscovered’
‘career prospects rated as poor, very poor or non-existent by 54%
‘the workforce is an ageing one, with 68% over 40 and 92% over 30’
‘no ethnic diversity and the proportion of women working in the sector is only around 10%’
2004 : Parks need people need parks
‘Progress in enhancing
urban green space continues
to be held back by skills
shortages’
‘support for training…which
equipped green space
managers with the skills to think
and plan strategically and
engage successfully with
communities, local politicians
and officers’’
2006 : NAO report, Enhancing urban green space
75% had Investors in People standard
Average annual training budgets are
less than 1% of staff budgets
80% said revenue budgets won’t
increase next year
37% said lack of skills in fundraising
affects service delivery
68% said lack of skills in horticulture
affects service delivery
40% said lack of capacity to deliver
was the reason for not offering
horticultural apprenticeships
2008: Local authority green space skills survey
Overview of the strategy
Challenges, priorities and actions
The strategy
Skills to grow. Seven priorities to improve urban green space skills.
A national framework for improving urban green space skills
Funded and supported by Department for Communities and Local Government
Developed with key national green space skills delivery partners
Consultation on draft until November 12th 2008
Completion by March 09
5 strategic challenges and opportunities
1. Problems with recruitment and retention
2. Lack of workforce diversity and inclusion
3. Broader skills base needed
4. Better management and leadership skills
5. Lack of joined up working
7 strategic priorities
1. Increase awareness of sector
2. Improve entry and career structures
3. Improve quality of training 4. Improve management and
leadership skills5. Increase overall investment
in skills6. Build capacity for joined up
working7. Build a better evidence base
Who’s responded
Overview of general response
Response to specific questions
Consultation feedback to date
13
Who’s responded?
52% public sector (local)
24% private sector
11% public sector (national)
8% voluntary/community
5% public sector (regional)
Who’s responded?
27% landscape/park managers
16% landscape architects
14% planners
9% arboriculturalists
6% horticulturalists
6% urban designers
4% education
4% architects
4% environmental conservation
Overview of responses
50% agree we have included
all the key challenges and
opportunities
89% agree the outcomes
we’ve identified are the right
ones
81% agree we included all the
right priorities and actions
Which skills are most important and which are most lacking?
Horticulture and plant knowledge
Landscape design and creativity
Managing ecological systems
Community and stakeholder engagement
Marketing and communications
Business skills and financial management
‘ I have been involved with local government and the private sector
for around 30 years and I cannot think of another area of work that
has such a widespread portfolio. Nor do I know of many jobs that
require such widespread knowledge.’
What is the fundamental problem and what are the underlying causes?
Low pay, lack of investment and poor perception of sector is
fundamental problem
Underlying cause is that green space is undervalued
More specifically the demise of apprenticeship schemes
since CCT, restricted budgets and weak leadership in local
authorities
‘salaries within the green space sector need to recognise not only
the technical abilities but also the complexity of the social,
economic, political and legal framework within which green space
management takes place’
Have we included all the key challenges and opportunities facing the sector?
Challenges:
lack of support for long term management of green
space
the time for staff to attend off site training courses
colleges not teaching the right skills
shortage of planners impacts on green skills
Opportunities:
the Olympic Park as a showcase of green skills
high public interest in wildlife
the economic case for green infrastructure
Have we included all the right priorities and actions?
improve public perception of green space industry
work closely with education providers to ensure
skills match needs
work with volunteer groups such as BTCV
develop training in community engagement for
local authorities
include training for non-green space decision
makers and fund holders
What actions do you think will have highest impact?
raising the profile of green space
providing good information on what careers can offer and
how to access them
better support and investment for green spaces in local
authorities
more apprenticeship schemes
‘it will take a consistent approach for a generation…the drivers being
money, opportunity and reward. More demanding jobs will fuel better
training and more education opportunities for broader, higher level
skills which would raise status of those working in the sector’
What else do we need to do to better understand the issues?
carry out in depth surveys of skill base in local
authorities to identify specifics of gaps
comparative studies with other service sectors
identify what attracts people to the sector
work with colleges to develop short courses to
address gaps
research alternative management structures to
identify a suitable model which can ensure overall
investment is increased
And now….
Feedback from the South West Regional
Survey