Works Initiative To Provide Horticulture Training
This morning [Aug.23] Minister of Public Works Derrick Burgess held a press conference to provide information on a plan to provide training to Bermudians in the field of horticulture, with the goal of helping people gain full time employment with private landscaping companies.
Minister Burgess said, “The training is intended to last from 4 to 6 months and at the end of the first 12 months, it is our goal to have 12 persons trained and certified in the field of horticulture. Ultimately, it is anticipated that a total of 24 persons will graduate from this initiative following its completion over a 2-year period.”
Skills to be taught will include the safe use of horticultural equipment, basic use of tools, mowing, trimming, edging, pruning, chainsaw use, hard landscaping, pesticide and herbicide application and tradesman skills such as carpentry and masonry.
The training programme is open to both men and women over the age of 18, and the first six participants are Makai Young, Tekania Swan, Koshon Lightbourne, Kennejah Darrell, Davon Cann, Teo Burgess
Front row left to right: Davon Cann, Teo Burgess, Minister Derrick Burgess (centre), Tekania Swan, Kennejah Darrell, Lisa-Dawn Johnston [Director, Dept of Parks]. Back row left to right: Jameka Kelly [Park Planner, Dept of Parks], Allen Richardson [Training Officer, Dept of Labour and Training].
The Minister’s full statement follows below:
Good morning and thank you for joining us today.
Last month you will recall I mentioned a number of initiatives within my Ministry that were designed to get Bermudians back to work in light of the current economic challenges facing our country. One such initiative was the Railway Trail Hiring Initiative.
This initiative is a direct result of listening to the needs of the private sector, and in particular, the Landscaping Industry, which highlighted the challenges with training and retaining Bermudians to fill the many jobs now held by contract workers.
We came up with the concept of the Railway Trail Hiring Initiative….shared our vision with the technical officers at the Department of Parks……then challenged them to make this vision become a reality.
As a reminder, the Railway Trail Hiring Initiative is an employment and training opportunity that will provide the participants with horticultural skills intended to improve their chances of gaining full time employment with private landscaping companies.
As a bit of background, the individuals taking part in the programme have expressed a keen interest in landscaping and were selected after undergoing an extensive interview process in consultation with the Department of Labour and Training.
The training is intended to last from 4 to 6 months and at the end of the first 12 months, it is our goal to have 12 persons trained and certified in the field of horticulture. Ultimately, it is anticipated that a total of 24 persons will graduate from this initiative following its completion over a 2-year period.
Skills to be taught will include the safe use of horticultural equipment, basic use of tools, mowing, trimming, edging, pruning, chainsaw use, hard landscaping (such as surfacing, fence repairs, sign and bench installation); pesticide and herbicide application and tradesman skills such as carpentry and masonry.
As a note, the training programme is open to both men and women over the age of 18. The successful candidates will work a seven and a half hour day…. five days per week during their training period.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Ministry of Public Works recognizes that by creating this partnership with private contractors, we are able to provide a means of hiring additional people without having to invest in additional resources such as vehicles and tools and equipment that would be required if the programme was run completely in-house. A win/win for all!
At this time I would like to acknowledge the first group of trainees for the programme standing here with me today. They are:
Makai Young
Tekania Swan
Koshon Lightbourne
Kennejah Darrell
Davon Cann
Teo BurgessI would like to assure all six of you that my Ministry will do all that it can to support you as you embark on this new and exciting journey. So congratulations to all of you….and I wish you all the best!
Thank you!
“Skills to be taught will include the safe use of horticultural equipment, basic use of tools, mowing, trimming, edging, pruning, chainsaw use, hard landscaping (such as surfacing, fence repairs, sign and bench installation); pesticide and herbicide application and tradesman skills such as carpentry and masonry.”
I’m not an expert, but I’m pretty sure that is landscaping, not horticulture.
While good for the Ministry…National Training Board have been trying to implement a horticulture training program for years but due to lack of funding from the Government, were unable to do so…but I am glad it is finally happening…landscaping companies are in dire need of qualified workers…
It is a pity that the program does not go further then this. Apparently an initiative to implement a comprehensive landscaping program under the auspices of a respected educational partner were rejected in a desire to have a program up and running very fast and on the basis that people needed to know how to cut lawns, not understand the concepts used to create and manage landscapes. Dumb it down to keep people unempowered and window dressing for an election if you ask me….
Im sorry, but when I worked in landscaping, I didnt need some Ministry Initiative to give me for 4-6 months training on how to push a lawnmoer and trim a hedge.
All it takes is a little dedication and hard work.
Many Bermudians have been hired by local landscaping companies in the effort to keep Bermudians employed, but after 2 days couldnt hack it. Work & hours were too hard. There’s been many documented cases. Why will this to be any different?
I agree. They should be coached on growing food (something useful) rather than perpetually try to restrain the growth of ornamental plants (something bordering on useless). But alas, we have yet to move on from being an ornamental society…grow some food people.
just to get this straight they gave a big press conference to talk about training 6 people? hundreds unemployed and theyre solution is to train 6 landscapers and call it a day, well i call that a fail.
Another version of factory fodder. Sad!
What?? This is completely different than what the college advertises and the course description!
Skills to be taught will include the safe use of horticultural equipment, basic use of tools, mowing, trimming, edging, pruning, chainsaw use, hard landscaping (such as surfacing, fence repairs, sign and bench installation); pesticide and herbicide application and tradesman skills such as carpentry and masonry
This description sounds more like landscaping than horticulture
Hopefully we wont be seeing their training including using a Plate Compactor to
‘Temp’newly spear top soil as was the case I’m told down at the Harbour View Properties in St Davids. Though I did not see them using the compactor the evidence (Compacted Soil-Lines) is clear for all to see.
What is the point of laying new top soil if you are going to pack the entire area in this fashion? The only thing you will grow in that is Concrete, I can only imagine they where teaching them how to prep wickets as if you are expecting to grow turf grasses and other plants then good luck, their roots will be strangled from the word go. If any of these workers are expecting to be hired by landscapers locally then please ensure that they are receiving proper training. A hand roller would have sufficed really.
Having said that hopefully they will meet with some success but I will reserve comment … for now.
Many turf managers pack soil after it has been seeded maybe they put down seed also they pack it when you put in springs. it is somthing they do of golf courses
Of course there is a need to Temp or even Roll soil, but not Compact it, as a Landscaper of some almost thirty years and the former groundsman of the National Stadium I can assure you this Compactor approach is wrong.
So could someone answer a question for me? Do the unemployed have to be registered with Labour and Training in order to qualify for these initiatives that Govt. is implementing?
All the best to these individuals who have been given this oppurtunity. It is interesting that there was extensive consultation with labour and training however did they check former employers as references. This is something that very few companies do and end up with employees that do very well in interviews but are very bad employees. It would be interesting to know at the completion of this program who successfully passes and if they have been placed in the workforce.
Nice initiative – hope they learn how to actually PLANT trees instead of just ripping them out of the ground and filling the earth with pesticides. Seems to be a theme happening in Bermuda these days everywhere you turn. Maybe they can help to reverse this disturbing trend?