Landscape Industry: Involving a New Generation

 

The landscape industry is facing a huge shortage of skilled labor, not only here in Colorado, but across the nation. The problem can be attributed a majority of things and every industry professional will have a different reason as to why people don’t want to work in the landscape industry.

What if we could change that?

What if we could show high school students the career paths in the landscape industry?

That is exactly what Landscape Career Pathways strives to do.

Phil Steinhauer, Founder and CEO of Designscapes Colorado says, “We are creating a program where kids can look at landscaping as a career path. When I was a kid, that is what students did during their summer breaks, work in landscaping. That is different now, and the industry is different because of it.”

Becky Garber from the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC), is spearheading the program. She says “The goal of the Landscape Career Pathways program is to get students to be skill ready to step right into industry jobs. In addition, students can see upward mobility in the industry. A job in the landscape industry is not a dead end job.”

Garber says that the program is still in its early stages, but is gaining huge traction and seeing a lot of success in the pilot schools they are currently in. With programs in both metro and rural areas, high school students are able to see the opportunities in the industry, both with or without a college degree. But the key to the program is the relationships that have been built with industry partners and schools.

“We wouldn’t have this program if it weren’t for our partnering with the Colorado Community College System. They have been important to the success of both the program and students.”

For more information about the Landscape Career Pathways program, see their information flyer attached here.

 

 

 

 

 

This entry was posted in Designscapes News, Company