THE FOUNDER of a project to get more children gardening has spoken about the importance of apprenticeships during National Apprenticeship Week which began on Monday and runs until Sunday, February 10 to 16.
Ross Dyke said the opportunities meant, although he left school with no qualifications, the scheme helped him get a job at Webbs of Wychbold garden centre after he found an apprenticeship at Pershore College.
The training course he completed had study trips to Bordon Hill Nurseries, which has introduced technology such as AI into its customer service and to the Malvern Spring Show.
He has also had to analyse soil from home which gave him useful information about the different aspects that make up the soil.
Mr Dyke said, “If you’ve got proven experience and qualifications, it’s easier to get a job in the industry.
“An apprenticeship is a good way to show a track record.”
The apprenticeship helped in to get into the degree programme which covered plant pathology, pest and disease management using robot technology and urban horticulture.
The qualification he gained also helped him land senior roles in nursery and propagation.
A couple of years ago, he had followed debates in Parliament about adding horticulture to the school curriculum and listened to Blue Peter and social media gardener Lee Connelly say: “Gardening is good for both physical and mental health and would make kids more environmentally conscious.”
Mr Dyke said, “I sat there and said there’s got to be a way to do it.
“I wanted to figure out how to do it for the lowest possible cost for the school.”
The project Get Children Growing was then set up with 4,000 sunflower seeds donated by seed suppliers Mr Fothergill’s, kerbside-recyclable pots provide by Webbs and New Leaf Plants and compost given by Westland and British Garden Centres.
Now, packs are being made up to be delivered next month to 15 schools and by taking part, each school is entered into a raffle to win a day out with Lee Connelly and each school will vote for their best growers.
Mr Dyke said, “Horticulture comes into everything we do.
“Horticulture can change poverty, it can end the dirty water crisis.
“Nature is there for all of us to enjoy.
“Horticulture is a way of getting people to understand how plants grow.
“Our industry needs fresh blood coming into it year-on-year.
“If we get horticulture on the school curriculum, we can make it fun.”
His son, who has autism, has been attending farm-based alternative education provider Bonterre since 2021.
Bonterre teaches seven to 18-year-olds life skills with the main focus on animal care and horticulture.
Mr Dyke added: “We grow seasonal veg to sell into local farm shops.
“We make our own apple juice, do seasonal workshops, pick your own bouquet.
“Everything that comes in goes straight back to support children.”
In 2023, Mr Dyke started The Plant Pod podcast, he made five episodes in Season one and ten episodes in Season two with Pershore College as a sponsor and got 1,000 downloads in a month.
So far in the podcast, he has spoken to his apprenticeship tutor Mark Diggines and other guests and will release Season three in May.
Mr Dyke said, “I love it – getting to speak to people, finding out their experiences and what they do.
“It’s allowed me to tap into the resources of who I’ve met.”
On February 12, Mr Dyke hosted the Helping You Grow a Better Future horticulture conference at Pershore College, with talks from industry professionals to an audience of 200.
