The UN Sustainable Development Goals have become a touchpoint for those in the sector that are working to create nature-based solutions as a means to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies.

In order to achieve this, the built environment sector needs green skills in the right places. The Landscape Institute’s aim, through the work of its members, is to protect, conserve, and enhance the natural and built environment for the public benefit. Green skills will play a central role in this greener recovery and shift towards a nature-based economy, and the landscape sector already holds many of the skills that are needed.

However, as it currently stands, there are no good sources of national data about the industry, its people, or their skills.  As the sector continues to grow, adapt and face new challenges, we need to bring our evidence up-to-date and understand how the industry has changed over time.

As such, we’ve been working alongside partners British Association of Landscape Industries, Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, Locri, Natural England, Natural Resource Wales, NatureScot, and the Northern Ireland Department for Communities on a pivotal piece of research  – our Landscape Skills and Workforce Survey.

Our CEO, Sue Morgan, says: “The insight we’ll gain from this important piece of work will enable us to take an informed, strategic approach as a sector and we need to work collaboratively to fully understand and address the national skills deficit faced by our workforce.

“Nature-based solutions are desperately needed to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies and undertaking this major piece of research will help us get the right skills in the right places.”

We know that there are skills shortages across the sector, as well as changes in practice as a result of climate change, the housing crisis, Brexit, and other factors. There are huge challenges, as well as opportunities to be seized for the next generation of landscape professionals. 

The insight we will gain from this important piece of work will enable us to take an informed, strategic approach as a sector, and we need to work collaboratively to fully understand and address the national skills deficit faced by our workforce. Nature-based solutions are desperately needed to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies and this work will help us get the right skills in the right places

Here at the LI we are already working to further build these skills in the sector and are supporting Groundwork London and Parks for London in the creation of a new Green Space Skills Hub that aims to upskill the London green space sector, equipping it to deliver for climate, biodiversity, and public health. Further projects like this are needed across the industry to build the foundations needed for a nature-based economy.

Evidencing is equally important and we need you to help us establish this comprehensive dataset that will allow us to fully understand the shape of the sector and enable us to provide the support and development needed to upskill the sector, equipping it to deliver for climate, biodiversity, and public health.

Complete the Landscape Skills and Workforce Survey today.

Author: Lucy Pickford, Marketing Manager at the Landscape Institute