Interest in horticultural careers rises by 25 per cent for second year running

The trend in training to become a horticulturalist continues, according to new figures from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

There has been close to a 25 per cent increase in applications for the RHS's diploma in horticultural practice, translating as nearly six times as many applicants as places. Fifty seven per cent of the applicants were female.

The people applying for the diploma are people who have already experience in the horticultural industry, which is encouraging, according to Suzanne Moss, head of education and learning at the RHS: "Seeing the increase in diploma applicants, who already have experience in the horticulture industry, is especially encouraging as we face the challenge of filling the skills gap for supervisory, specialist and technical roles in horticulture."

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Moss added: "It is fantastic to see another year of growth in RHS education. More and more people are drawn to the horticulture industry as they see the benefits from the variety of careers our training and courses can lead to."

The horticultural industry is seen as a vital opportunity for growth in jobs as well as increasing green spaces and educating people about the importance of the environment and the natural world.

The industry is worth £28.8bn to the economy, with the potential to grow to £42bn and supporting 763,000 jobs by 2030.

The RHS has a range of horticultural training opportunities, including the popular RHS Level 2 horticulture qualification, aimed at those wanting to embark on a horticultural career. It is taught at many colleges around the country. To qualify for the horticultural practice diploma students need a minimum of the RHS Level 2 qualification.

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