Dear Reader

April has so far been a month of warm dry weather and glorious blue skies. As the weather improves, so our attention turns to landscaping and ensuring the grass is truly greener on every side of the fence.

Landscaping is considered to be both a science and an art. Through it we can modify the physical features of our landscape to suit our individual needs, whether that's to make it more accessible, more attractive or simply to create an environment in which we can enjoy spending time. Whatever the reason, key to the success of any landscaping project is consideration of the use of the terrain, the needs of the end user and the correct and safe operation of machinery.

Whether you're an Estate Manager, Grounds Keeper, run a private landscaping business or work in the leisure and tourism industry, the Rural Skills Centre has the right course for you. Aimed at both newcomers and seasoned professionals, our range of courses will hone your skills and can lead to qualifications and accreditation to bring greater success for your business.

We hope you find our newsletters informative. If you know of anyone else that may benefit from receiving Growing Skills simply click on the button above to forward it to them.

Happy reading,

James

Mower Operators

We have many tools at our disposal when embarking on a landscaping project, but no matter how big or small the area we all require a mower.

There are many types of mower - cylinder, rotary, flail, pedestrian and ride on. Working out which mower is right for your landscape is the first decision. Once made it is important to ensure you have the skills necessary to set up, use and maintain this most valuable piece of equipment.

Additionally, for Estate Managers and Owners it is a requirement of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure staff have had the correct training.

The Rural Skills Centre works alongside both LANTRA and NPTC to deliver a range of courses aimed at improving the education, skills and competencies of land-based and environmental businesses. All our courses demonstrate how to operate, service, repair and maintain your mower, thereby ensuring its reliability and safe use throughout the year.

Typically lasting 1-2 days and working in groups of 4-6, courses can be run either at your place of business or at our Skills Centre in Coates. Trainees will have the opportunity to work on their own mower, and each course ends with an assessment by either a LANTRA certified assessor or in the case of MPGC an independent assessor.

For more information on our range of courses and to discuss your individual requirements please contact Nikki on 01285 889873.

Landscaping and Estate Maintenance

In addition to our mower courses we also offer training in a wide range of other landscaping and estate maintenance skills. These include:

Dry Stone Walling – we offer several courses for both beginners and experienced wallers including the LANTRA/ Dry tone Walling Association VRQ Level 1 & 2 Qualification
Fencing – courses cover the basic skills required in post and rail and strained wire fencing
Hedge laying – covers the techniques and principles behind the various styles plus the use and maintenance of hand tools
Maintenance & Safe Use of Garden Machinery – aimed at building confidence in the safe operation of lawnmowers, hedge cutters, strimmers and shredders.
Brick and Block Work
Brush cutter and Strimmer operation

For more information on these courses, start dates and prices please contact Nikki on 01285 889873.

And Finally….

Here at the Rural Skills Centre we are full of good ideas and always looking for ways to improve and expand the range of courses we provide. We are hoping to introduce a range of 1-2 day courses covering the basics of practical landscaping. This hands-on training will cover slabbing, fencing, soil preparation, turfing, pruning and basic garden design.

We are also looking to include bespoke courses within our portfolio. Our aim is to help you improve your business by building, hosting and delivering a unique course that is tailored to meet your individual needs, as well as those of your clients.

What do you think? We would relish your feedback on these ideas, and any suggestions you have regarding our current and future training initiatives. Email us with your thoughts.

Training Courses in May

ATV Operation
including implements & loads - 4^th May

Lantra Tractors
Maintenance & Operation - 5^th & 6^th May

Rough Terrain Telescopic
5^th & 6^th May

CS30/CS31 NPTC Chainsaw
Maintenance, Operation, Cross Cutting & Felling of Small Trees - 3^rd to 7^th May

2 day Lantra Chainsaw
Maintenance Operation & Cross Cutting - 9^th & 10^th May

Wood Chippers
11^th May

Emergency First Aid
11^th May

PA1 Safe Use of Pesticides
12^th May

Dry Stone Walling
Introduction - 14^th May

CS38/CS39 NPTC Chainsaw
Tree Climbing, Aerial Rescue, Use of a Chainsaw in Harness - 16^th to 23^rd May

PA2 Ground Crop Sprayer Pesticide application
17^th May

Brush cutters & Strimmers
18^th May

Blacksmithing & Ornamental Ironwork
Module 1 - 21^st May

Introduction to Tractors
25^th & 26^th May

PA6 Knapsack Pesticide application
26^th May

BASIS Certificates in Conservation Management
8^th, 9^th & 10^th June

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