So, you have made the decision to join the world of landscaping and have an idea of which roles appeal to you. The next step is to consider how you are going to proceed into that role. Education and training can be invaluable, visit our website to find local accredited courses, make sure they cover the subjects needed for your choice of role. If you want to be a hard landscaper, do they cover this? Are there units on paving and surfacing, brickwork and timber etc?

Next is the level of the program; this needs to be appropriate to your level of learning, from both an academic point (appropriate to your English and Maths abilities) and the depth of subject understanding. Remember, you can always progress to the next level if you need to get the basics first. Many full-time courses are free if you are under 18 or subsidised if you are over 18. There are also part-time courses if you want to study before you leave your current job. We covered the value of apprenticeships in our last issue. These are certainly something that needs serious consideration when you are looking at all your options but remember you need to find an apprenticeship with the employer first before approaching the training provider.

Many companies are happy to take people with the right qualities on directly and train them up within the company, find your local landscaper here www.bali.org.uk