How do we become sexy? That is a question we regularly ask ourselves within Forever Plants. Yes, part of us is getting on in years and things are starting to sag, but that is not what this is about, of course. Horticulture needs young, well-educated people. The sector is ageing, but the increasing complexity of businesses also calls for smart people with a good set of tools to help us. Yet the image of our sector is old-fashioned. Working in horticulture is monotonous, heavy and dirty, and certainly not sexy. Wanting to be a grower does not go down well at a birthday party. Or does it?
Promoting horticulture
We are very aware of the image of our sector and have therefore made promoting horticulture one of the spearheads of our policy. Our first step in this was to become part of the World Horti Center. Through the connection with the three schools that are also located in the building, we have gained much more contact with students. In addition, we have opened up our company to interns, at both MBO and HBO level. Taster placements, ten-week internships, but also learning assignments for the various years of study – by now we have had them all in-house.
What was first seen as a threat or burden for and by our employees is now regarded as an enjoyable experience. The students bring new ideas, different opinions and different insights. On top of all the energy they bring with them, an absolutely top experience!
Reaching out actively
The only problem is that the students who now come through our doors have already chosen our sector. And we would so like to show other students as well that horticulture offers wonderful career opportunities! To make this possible, we have reached out to schools that are not horticulture-oriented. By now we have contacts with the ISW in Naaldwijk and ’s-Gravenzande, The Hague University of Applied Sciences and also with the Delft University of Technology.
We give presentations at open days, organise competitions and teach guest lessons to students. At the end of November I had the opportunity to take part in a symposium of The Hague University of Applied Sciences at Tomatoworld. Here almost 100 students, from the first year of business administration, were taught about what horticulture entails and what challenges lie ahead for the sector in the future. Topics such as ‘feeding the planet’, ‘the liveability of cities’ and ‘producing our food sustainably’ were covered extensively. Afterwards, the students asked good and sharp questions. This generation is highly engaged with the problems of our time.
Playing in the Champions League
My message to students is simple: working in horticulture and being educated in the Netherlands means you get to play in the Champions League. In which other sector in the Netherlands can you say that you are competing with companies that are leading the world’s developments in the field of food and sustainable production? On top of that, working in horticulture is meaningful. The companies do things that really matter, allowing you to give your career a meaningful purpose. How wonderful is that!
As far as we are concerned, the time we invest in these activities is well rewarded. We become wiser ourselves, and the energy you get from being able to work with these young people is top-notch! I look forward to the coming period. On 15 December I get to give a presentation at InHolland University of Applied Sciences in Delft, and I am curious to see what else is going to follow!
