Horticultural Industry Jobs & Careers

When it comes to careers in horticulture, there are plenty of jobs to choose from. In fact, despite not being as popular as other industries, horticultural jobs offer many positives to individuals.

Traditionally, horticulture has been seen as a sector that only offers careers with limited prospects and low wages. Whilst this is the traditional view of careers in horticulture, times have changed and there are many rewarding and surprising careers to choose from.

Why is horticulture important?

Horticulture is the way in which medicinal plants, vegetables, herbs and fruits are cultivated, as well as the conservation of plans, restoration of landscape and garden design. Horticulture plays an important role in society as it adds benefit to how plants are used and the food that is consumed by humans, along with a focus on repairing the environment.

The horticultural industry is also a huge contributor to the UK economy, and the environment and food security benefit hugely from this sector.

What careers and jobs are on offer in the horticultural industry?

When it comes to choosing a career, the horticultural industry offers many that are fulfilling and rewarding. When thinking about careers in horticulture, many people haven't thought about the wide spectrum of jobs on offer. Some examples include;

- Horticultural Scientist
A horticultural scientist undertakes the study into plant life in a lab, as well as in their environment. They work across many areas of horticulture including conservation, forestry, medicine, food science and biotechnology. The breadth of this career choice offers individuals plenty of choices when it comes to choosing a particular employer or area of horticultural science.

As part of the job, a horticultural scientist will find out, assign, document and survey plant species so that they are able to gain an understanding of how they grow, and more importantly how to improve it. They often study the impact that the environment has on plant life.

- Horticultural Therapist

A horticultural therapist uses gardening, plants and horticulture to help people. As part of this role, therapists work with a range of people from a variety of diverse backgrounds who are disabled or disadvantaged.

By working with clients to show them the benefit of health and wellbeing, horticultural therapists use individual programmes that are tailored to meet the needs of individual clients. This type of therapy uses nature to offer sensory stimulus to individuals.

- Soil Scientist
When it comes to a career in soil science, many of the opportunities available are at specialist research centres. Soil scientists collect, explain and assess information regarding the biology, physics and chemistry of the soil.

Soil is a natural and renewable source, and it is a vital component of food production, helping to support plan and animal life. It also offers a foundation for worldwide infrastructure.

Some of the tasks a soil scientist is likely to be involved in include applying their knowledge of soil science across the landscape, undertaking fieldwork, conducting laboratory analysis of soil samples and writing research reports.

- Plant Breeder
As a plant breeder, the objective is to expand useful characteristics including disease resistance and drought tolerance. Plant breeders play a vital role in the agricultural industry in the face of increasing challenges to ensure market requirements are met, as well as consumer demand.

Plant breeders have used their expertise to enhance the work of existing plants and finding new strains, allowing for a quicker and accurate way of selecting plants with particular genes of interest.

A plant breeder will research methods to improve plant breeding, analyse plant breeding in a lab and in the field, undertake scientific projects and many more tasks.

- Groundskeeper
A groundskeeper is responsible for the maintenance of a variety of outdoor spaces including golf courses, sports stadiums and public parks. Groundskeepers work on lawns and gardens to keep them healthy and sustainable.

As part of the role, groundskeepers use a range of hand tools and gas-powered tools to maintain grass, tidy leaves, trim bushes and trees, plant flowers and shrubs, removing dead plants and more.

What does the future hold for careers in horticulture?

When it comes to a career in horticulture, there's more to it than simply gardening. In fact, horticulture contributes around £9 billion to the UK economy each year. This shows that there is a necessity for individuals to choose careers in horticulture, as it is a significant industry when it comes to the UK economy.

As an industry, it employs approximately 300,000 people including gardeners, scientists, landscape designers and plant breeders. There are plenty of career choices on offer when it comes to horticulture, and the rewards are increasing year on year.

There's never been a better time to start a career in horticulture. In fact, with a skills shortage in the sector, and many businesses unable to fill jobs, the prospects are fairly positive for those looking to start their career. With a range of opportunities available, a career in horticulture offers individuals the chance to work in a range of different areas to match their skills and experience.

With such a wide range of jobs and careers available, the future of the horticultural industry is bright. In fact, the various roles allow individuals to use their existing skills, even from different industries, to retrain and change career. There are also training opportunities including higher education courses that are being used to help attract younger people into the sector. These courses act as a way into the industry and give young people their first steps in horticulture.

The UK economy benefits hugely from the horticultural industry, so it's important that people choose careers in the sector, and help to continue the positive trend seen over the last few years.

People are becoming more aware of their environments, and with climate change part of the wider discussion, many people are looking to be educated on the matters of horticulture, and what impact the various aspects of the industry have in order to help the growing crisis when it comes to climate change and the environment as a whole.

Agricultural Recruitment Specialists lead the UK and the world in agricultural, horticultural and farming recruitment. If you're looking for a new role, or are simply just interested in what might be available to you, please send us your CV to info@agriRS.co.uk and one of our experienced team of consultants will call you to discuss your options.

If you are instead looking to expand your team and would like to make use of our agriculture recruitment services, then feel free to contact us at 01905 345 155.

If you'd like to find out more about Agricultural Recruitment Specialists Ltd, then please visit www.agriRS.co.uk