Set your sights higher

Set your sights higher

There was a time when the language of landscaping was very simple: plants, trees and soil were essentially all you needed to know. To some, this remains the case. To others, ourselves included, the language of landscaping has changed dramatically.

Of course, plants, trees and soil are still at the core of landscaping, but the nature, scale, context and complexity of landscaping would be unrecognisable to the previous generation. Our founder, Peter O’Brien Snr began landscaping in the 1960’s, with nothing more than a rotavator. The original business had one primary service: rotavating and seeding back gardens. We still rotavate gardens, but on as somewhat different level.

 

The new language of landscaping is being shaped by a number of factors including urbanisation, technology, environmentalism, regulation, accountability, knowledge and a general move towards complexity. The changes have presented enormous challenges to the sector as it scrambles to keep pace. Our own company has made significant investments in training and professional development and are constantly seeking to attract and foster new talent.

The rapid evolution of landscaping language has also created issues for the education sector, which is notoriously slow at keeping up. Talks have been ongoing for several years to fill the widening gap with a suitable apprenticeship program, but these have been frustratingly slow in coming to fruition. In my opinion, the absence of a firm connection between education and the commercial front lines is producing graduates – through not fault of their own – ill-equipped to meet the needs of contemporary landscaping. Worse still, graduates find themselves surprised and disappointed when faced with commercial realities of landscaping. If you’re considering a career in landscape construction, I advise doing the job first and building on the practical experience with academic study as support. The traditional approach does not work for modern landscaping.

To build a successful career in landscape construction you need to work under the mentorship of the most respected people in the sector completing the most challenging projects. These days such projects involve complex engineering, machinery, techniques, training and collaboration with a diverse range of related construction fields. For instance, modern projects may encompass highly complex rooftops, podiums, services infrastructure, streetscapes, living structures, protected buildings, environments and a lot more besides. One recent tree planting project involved dozens of drawings and input from six different specialist professions.

The future of landscaping in Ireland and on the international stage is extremely positive. The rise in environmental awareness, the value of green infrastructure and a greater appreciation for quality green open space puts the sector in an excellent position. But to meet the needs of the future, we need to set our sights higher: You need to set your sights higher.

 

 

As Ireland’s leading landscape construction company, we recognise the need to provide support, mentorship and hard skill training.  If you’re interested in joining us on our journey to set the standards for the future of landscaping, then we’d like to hear from you. We have opportunities at various levels within the company, which afford the opportunity to build the skills, knowledge and experience needed to be the next generation of leading landscape contractors.

 If you can review our existing vacancies here. Alternatively, you can email me to discuss career opportunities in strictest confidence at barry.lupton@obrienlandscaping.com