July 2, 2008 - Cap University Suspends Hort Program

Low enrollment—which some attribute to a job market so fierce that employers have been known to recruit workers out of school parking lots—has forced the closure of Capilano College’s Landscape Horticulture Certificate Program. The program closure is a tremendous loss for the industry, which relies heavily on post-secondary institutions to attract young people to the field of horticulture. A further toll is the industry-institution liaison and support provided by Rob Welsh, the school’s well-respected program head and BCLNA award-winning instructor.

Bruce McTavish is an educator at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, an industry consultant, and HortEducationBC board member. He remarked, “I think this shows why apprenticeship is so important. At the wages the industry pays, most young people can’t justify taking one or two years out of their lives to get a diploma in horticulture. Also, our most trainable people are those who are already in the industry, are turned on to it, and want to stay—thus the apprenticeship model.”

Anne Kadwell, CEO of HortEducationBC, went on to say that industry continues to demand skilled workers, and in today’s market, employers need to go the extra mile to encourage their existing employees to stay. “The loss of Cap’s program just goes to show that we need stronger industry support for apprenticeship so we do not lose it as well, and our stakeholders—employers, institutions, and HortEducationBC—all need to make a greater effort to let young people know that horticulture is a vibrant, rewarding, and long-term career option if we hope to maintain existing institutional training.”

Shelley Kean, Manager of Public Affairs at Capilano College concurred, stating, “A combination of new funding requirements from the Industry Training Authority (ITA) and a shortage of workers in the landscape horticulture industry have both contributed to the suspension of Capilano’s Landscape Horticulture program. A hot economy has meant that many potential students for this long-running program have been able to find jobs in that field without having to attend school. A reduced number of students mean the Capilano program cannot meet the utilization targets set by the ITA, which is ultimately responsible for setting funding requirements.”

Kean adds, “While employers hiring workers without additional skills may work as a short term solution, it will have long term repercussions as training institutions close, leaving no options for those workers who eventually will want and need upgrading.”

Colleagues of Rob Welsh at HortEducationBC, together with those at BCLNA, wish to express their appreciation to the faculty and staff at Capilano for the many years of dedication to delivering well-trained students to the industry. Their passion, support, commitment, and ardent belief in both the students and horticulture education’s value, have contributed greatly to both associations success over the years.