Quadron is able to provide excellent workplace experience across a range of both horticultural and administrative job roles and has established links with many colleges and training providers. The three year apprenticeship programme offered generally culminates with the offer of a full time role as a horticultural team leader or similar.
Please see the case studies on the right for examples of our successful apprentices, as well as the links to CABE's website which cites Quadron's schemes in Bristol and Birmingham as examples of good practice.
A Quadron apprentice, Andy Pember, even won the Horticulture Week's Landscape & Amenity "Apprentice of the Year" award in 2009.
Quadron also works in conjunction with its clients to ensure that its apprenticeships cover the full range of horticultural experience. In Bristol, for example, apprentices are seconded to the Client so that they don't just work on Quadron-maintained sites, they also work with the Council's own apprentices on Council-maintained parks. Apprentices are always deployed to work alongside a skilled horticulturalist. They are rotated between sites to maximise their exposure to different maintenance issues. Third year students are encouraged to work independently and to begin to take charge of a team.
When taking on apprentices and targeting groups for recruitment Quadron will focus on youngsters living within the local area and particularly those from underrepresented groups in the industry, for example females. On larger contracts "taster days" are held for potential candidates to experience a day's work to see if it is something they would enjoy. Another means of entry onto the scheme is through Groundwork, a charity providing opportunities for the long term unemployed. These tend to be slightly older people who have not previously found their vocation in life, who enjoy the opportunity to work outdoors and see the fruits of their labours and wish to develop the skills which will lead to a successful career. Quadron has taken on several permanent apprentices who have worked originally on a temporary Groundwork placement scheme.
