‘Grow Careers’ at Greenmount Campus

CAFRE’s Greenmount campus is today running an innovative two-day event to showcase the exciting opportunities a career in horticulture can present. It is targeted at year 11 pupils who are soon making career choices. Many hundreds will attend and get a better understanding of horticulture.

‘Grow Careers’ features a range of interactive indoor and outdoor fun demonstrations, allowing the pupils and their teachers to get an insight into the hugely diverse world of horticulture.

Highlights include a visit to the campus Greenkeeping and Golf Academy for a glimpse of the profession of greenkeeping and the world of sportsturf management. Those interested in sport even get a chance to try their hand with “True Putt” where the effect of maintenance operations on putting is clearly demonstrated. 

Pupils interested in art will get a chance to see floristry students create design for the Northern Ireland heat of the Worldskills Floristry Competition and find out what knowledge and skills are needed to become a champion florist or garden gardener.

Locally grown food, flowers and plants are worth some £80million to the local economy and £10 billion in the UK. Pupils will also get a brief insight into the application of science and technology to the growing of plants and hear about the scientific, business management and marketing roles that the industry can offer.

Those interested in conservation will see how horticulturalists create a haven for our wildlife and understand how trees and other plants have a very positive effect on our health and well-being. They will learn how horticulture is used to help people cope with and recover from illness. 

Looking forward to welcoming the pupils, Senior Education Adviser at the college Kenneth Johnston said: “Horticulture is such a diverse area and we hope that over these two days we can help the pupils see what a wide range of exciting and creative rewarding careers it offers. We want them to understand the global nature of horticulture and to consider CAFRE as a gateway to a career that could literally take them all over the world.”

The ‘Grow Careers’ event takes place on Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 June at the CAFRE Greenmount Campus, 45 Tirgracy Rd, Antrim BT41 4PS.

To find out more about the great range of job opportunities in horticulture, visit the Grow Careers website or Facebook.

Details of all CAFRE courses can be found on the College website or Facebook.

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