TCV Cornwall’s Oliver Harper has gained a job in the environmental sector as a gardener with CORMAC’s horticulture team in Falmouth. Oliver had been on the Freestyle Targeted Youth Support programme since October 2012 and has benefited from a structured training programme achieving a LANTRA brushcutter qualification and a Bronze Youth Achievement Award as well as undertaking other practical conservation and wildlife identification training.
Oliver says, “Working with TCV provided me with the opportunities to work on a variety of outdoor projects in many different places which has led me to finding my passion for horticulture and through them I was able to gain a job with CORMAC’s parks and gardens team.”
Previous young trainees have been able to use and expand their skills in areas that interest them in the conservation and horticultural sectors. TCV provides a unique and tailored experience for young people in a supportive and friendly setting where they also gain a sense of achievement in completing tasks by themselves and as part of a team. With TCV young people gain brilliant work experience for jobs like landscape gardening and countryside wardens.
TCV offers unrivalled opportunities for young people to develop their skills and work on a range of sites across Cornwall. This means that a young volunteer can expect to gain both relevant training and practical experience.
Completing TCV’s youth programmes has led to a variety of employment and higher level progressions for past young volunteers. Young people have progressed onto Diplomas in horticulture and environmental conservation as well as employment as amenity gardeners and practical conservation assistants for example.
We currently have vacancies on our Freestyle Targeted Youth Support and Foundation Learning programmes – for more information and application details please contact Betty Levene on 01209 610610 or Claire North on 01209 610100.