The Queen’s Green Canopy and Capel Manor College Launch a New Training Programme to Get Young People into Work
Capel Manor College is delighted to be associated with the Queen’s Green Canopy project and has developed a successful pilot training programme to engage young people with trees, plants and the natural environment.
The intensive four-week programme culminated in a tree planting ceremony at Capel Manor College’s Enfield Campus to thank the participants and partners involved in the pilot project.
Participants in the course were from different backgrounds and experiences across London, who shared common interests in working outdoors, supporting the environment and learning while doing hands-on work.
Experienced tutors and curriculum leads at the College developed a training programme using a range of activities to engage, develop and inspire participants. Participants learned about practical horticulture, plant and tree identification, pests and diseases. They planted specimen trees, learned about the care and maintenance of trees and how to support and protect them. The course covered health and safety as well as the correct use of machinery and provided substantial enrichment and development opportunities, with day trips to Greenwich Park, Kew Gardens and RHS Wisley.
Capel Manor College supports a whole range of careers that are personally highly rewarding but also play vital roles in our national and global response to climate change and the decline in biodiversity. For the Queen’s Green Canopy programme, along with The Cavendish Group and supported by the DWP’s Kickstart programme, we have been working with employers in the land-based and environment sectors in London, to offer people opportunities to start new careers, with wages and expenses paid while they learn.
Malcolm Goodwin, Principal of Capel Manor College said “Students who joined the pilot programme had very little or no experience of working outdoors but our teams have been there to offer the training and guidance people need to get started. The employers are providing further training and help participants to put what they have learnt into practice. This means they will get a great start to either continue in work full-time, or perhaps go to college to learn more, or even do a bit of both.”
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