Young people attending Palmersville Training now have the chance to train as horticulurists and landscape gardeners thanks to a new occupational training scheme.
Ten young people at Palmersville Training on North Tyne Industrial Estate, are currently tilling the earth and learning about the wider skills of landscape gardening such as block paving, site management and fencing.
The brand new occupational scheme joins the nine other training areas, such as Hair & Beauty, Hospitality, Warehousing and Paint & Decorating, teaching youngsters a skill and helping them get apprenticeships. They also study for NVQ's and go to local firms on work placements.
The horticulture course was set up by the young people themselves. "We had this huge chunk of land around the building and the idea for a horticulture centre had been floating around for years," said Geoff Mount, Deputy Manager.
"However, we never had the money to do it. Lots of young people like the practical side of training rather than sitting in a classroom. The manual side of the course, along with being outdoors, really appealed to them. Now we have finally been able to do this."
When Shirley Jackson (Training supervisor, Beauty) first set Beauty Learners at Palmersville the challenge of arranging a fundraising day for Breast Cancer Care, she could not have imagined how successful the day would be.”