Three young horticultural apprentices have returned from a three week work placement with Cardiff twin city of Nantes in France.
The work placement was arranged as part of the Cardiff Council Parks and Gardens Horticultural Apprenticeship Scheme and was funded by the European Leonardo da Vinci Programme.
The apprentices undertook several French language tutorials in preparation for the placement improving language skills in addition to horticulture.
Anthony Davies, Joshua Thatcher and Magdalena Szczerbinska spent three weeks with the Nantes Parks Department Beaujoire. They worked with gardeners in the Jardin des Plantes, the Grand Blottereau park and the Beaujoire flower gardens.
Cardiff Council was successful in securing over 12,500 Euros from the Leonardo da Vinci Programme to develop the exchange programme with its twin city of Nantes for the Parks Services horticultural apprentices.
The Nantes exchange scheme has been a highly valuable part of the horticultural apprenticeship training programme which has the benefits of improving their horticultural skills and assisting in contributing to the apprentices curriculum for their studies in horticulture.
The Leonardo da Vinci Programme is part of the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme which supports education and training across Europe. It also provides opportunities for UK vocational education and training.
Cardiff Council’s horticultural apprenticeship scheme aims to develop skills through an in-house programme of practical training, combined with day release study. The scheme addresses the current skills gap in the industry and contributes to promoting career development and retaining a highly skilled workforce in the Parks Service.
As part of the programme, the apprentices benefit from a diverse range of activities and operations associated with horticulture including plant production and propagation, plant identification, conservation and tree management and fine turf.
Cabinet Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Cllr Huw Thomas said: “To be awarded European funding was fantastic news and confirms how beneficial, positive and credible the Council’s Parks and Gardens horticultural apprenticeship scheme is.”
For more information about Cardiff Council Park Services please visit www.cardiff.gov.uk/parks
To learn more about the Leonardo da Vinci Programme go to www.leonardo.org.uk
