Ireland’s horticulture sector continues to face significant labour shortages, despite receiving €19m in Government support last year. The funding was provided to help grow a more profitable, value-added sector, driven by innovation and sustainability, all of which are goals of the National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027.
The sector heavily relies on non-European Economic Area (EEA) workers, with 1,000 general employment permits allocated for horticultural roles last year. However, a sharp increase in the minimum salary for these permits (from €22,000 to €30,000 in annual pay last year) with plans to rise to €34,000 in 2025 has strained growers operating on tight margins where labour can account for up to 44% of costs.
The sector has suffered from a traditional perception of labour intensive work and lower salaries. However, the reality is salaries across the sector vary and like many areas are dependent on someone’s level of qualification and years of experience.
Horticulture spans various disciplines, including food production, ornamental and amenity horticulture, nursery stock, landscape design, turfgrass management, and protected cropping.
It contributes over €500m to the Irish economy annually, supports thousands of jobs, and underpins national priorities such as biodiversity enhancement, urban greening, and local food systems. Technological advances mean the work is less labour intensive than in times past. Delays in implementing a structured seasonal work permit scheme have further exacerbated staffing challenges, prompting calls for urgent Government intervention.
As a result, the sector is calling for skilled workers and those interested in pursuing a career outdoors. With the new Teagasc horticultural apprenticeship providing a practical educational pathway and the Level 8 course in University College Dublin (UCD), there are numerous routes into gaining a formal qualification in this area.
John Mulhern, college principal, college of horticulture Teagasc at National Botanic Gardens Glasnevin.
Work, earn and learn
John Mulhern, college principal in the College of Horticulture Teagasc at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, is aiding the delivery of programmes across Level 5, Level 6 and Level 7 in all areas of horticulture.
“There are a lot of people working in the horticulture sector who have found themselves in the industry without having a formal qualification in that space, but they might have a qualification in something else. There’s also an awful lot of those that have moved into the sector from other areas, like business, finance, and marketing,” says John.
A lot of people coming through the courses in the National Botanical Gardens have found themselves in the wrong sector initially and pivoted their career towards horticulture.
“Horticulture is very wide, and that’s what we’ve tried to capture in our new apprenticeship programme. We have the amenity side covered, but we also have the edible side and gardens and parks,” he explains.
A lot of the apprentices’ employers are county councils, as they have been mandated to take on several apprentices across different sectors. As local authorities in charge of many parks and gardens, it is a good fit for them.
“We need horticulturalist knowledge and skill sets to run those green spaces,” John emphasises.
The demand for horticulture programmes has been steady, with COVID-19 helping people to refocus and look at what they can do in terms of outdoor spaces as well as the green agenda, according to John.
“There are a lot of people who come to study here, who are moving away from traditional type roles, and want to see what they can do in the green space, in terms of landscape design, and nurseries. They want to decrease their carbon footprint and help promote a greener and safer environment for them and their families,” he says.
“Within the apprenticeship programme, obviously the employer provides a mentorship to the employee, and they have to give them time every week to guide and train them and to help them with their assignments and college work,” he says.
The age range varies from 18 up to 51 and the gender balance for this year’s programme is nearly a quarter female.
New entrants to horticulture at operative level are getting the minimum wage or just above, but this will significantly rise with experience and higher qualifications.
Although there is a huge challenge with recruitment and finding skilled workers across the horticulture sector, John says one issue is that employers are not advertising roles in the right places.
“Employers need to be innovative with what they are offering workers with regard to accommodation and other amenities,” he says.
Currently, there are approximately 90 horticulture employers who are registered to take on apprentices. All of these employers, once registered can advertise for apprentice positions.
There is huge potential to expand the numbers of those on the apprenticeship.
“The great thing about the apprenticeship is that the apprentice can pick who they want to work with, and a lot of the time, there are opportunities for people locally.
“With amenities, there is a real labour shortage in the landscaping and the nursery sector. People are needed with good landscaping skills and plant knowledge,” he says.
Noeleen Smyth, assistant professor in environmental and sustainable horticulture at UCD.
According to Dr Noeleen Smyth, assistant professor in environmental and sustainable horticulture at UCD, there are huge opportunities in the sector for young people.
She says she is finding that there are more jobs than students at the moment. Every year, they have enquiries for graduates to become managers for large state gardens, retail and production horticulture companies, the landscape and amenity industry and government departments.
Some graduates also go directly to further their academic career at a Master’s or PhD level.
“A recent review report on horticulture education in Ireland highlighted a lack of clarity on what a career in horticulture can entail. For example, if you do nursing, you are a nurse at the end – it’s clear, but in horticulture the career path is wider and more varied.
“This also means for students that the variety is exciting and can offer a bigger range of potential careers at the end of their studies,” says Noeleen.
“Technology for growing is moving at a pace, and horticulture is at the centre of providing sustainable food and plants for the landscapes of the future, whether those landscapes are in urban areas or part of our restored natural habitats,” she says.
Growing plants is the future to solve the climate and biodiversity crises and horticulture is at the centre of this, according to Noeleen.
“Planting our cities to be greener and healthier, for people and nature, helping ameliorate heat and flooding in these times of climate change [is important],” she explains.
This year, seven students are graduating with a degree in horticulture.
“Numbers have decreased over the years, but we have been remaining steady, if low, for the last few years with similar numbers to other smaller major courses such as forestry and crop science,” she says.
If all actions in the National Strategy for Horticulture are implemented, the Irish horticulture sector is expected to grow significantly, with an anticipated 30% increase in farm gate value rising from €559m in 2023 to €688m by the end of 2027.
This will generate more rural employment and result in higher demands for labour in the years ahead.
Ireland’s horticulture sector continues to face significant labour shortages, despite receiving €19m in Government support last year. The funding was provided to help grow a more profitable, value-added sector, driven by innovation and sustainability, all of which are goals of the National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027.
The sector heavily relies on non-European Economic Area (EEA) workers, with 1,000 general employment permits allocated for horticultural roles last year. However, a sharp increase in the minimum salary for these permits (from €22,000 to €30,000 in annual pay last year) with plans to rise to €34,000 in 2025 has strained growers operating on tight margins where labour can account for up to 44% of costs.
The sector has suffered from a traditional perception of labour intensive work and lower salaries. However, the reality is salaries across the sector vary and like many areas are dependent on someone’s level of qualification and years of experience.
Horticulture spans various disciplines, including food production, ornamental and amenity horticulture, nursery stock, landscape design, turfgrass management, and protected cropping.
It contributes over €500m to the Irish economy annually, supports thousands of jobs, and underpins national priorities such as biodiversity enhancement, urban greening, and local food systems. Technological advances mean the work is less labour intensive than in times past. Delays in implementing a structured seasonal work permit scheme have further exacerbated staffing challenges, prompting calls for urgent Government intervention.
As a result, the sector is calling for skilled workers and those interested in pursuing a career outdoors. With the new Teagasc horticultural apprenticeship providing a practical educational pathway and the Level 8 course in University College Dublin (UCD), there are numerous routes into gaining a formal qualification in this area.
John Mulhern, college principal, college of horticulture Teagasc at National Botanic Gardens Glasnevin.
Work, earn and learn
John Mulhern, college principal in the College of Horticulture Teagasc at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, is aiding the delivery of programmes across Level 5, Level 6 and Level 7 in all areas of horticulture.
“There are a lot of people working in the horticulture sector who have found themselves in the industry without having a formal qualification in that space, but they might have a qualification in something else. There’s also an awful lot of those that have moved into the sector from other areas, like business, finance, and marketing,” says John.
A lot of people coming through the courses in the National Botanical Gardens have found themselves in the wrong sector initially and pivoted their career towards horticulture.
“Horticulture is very wide, and that’s what we’ve tried to capture in our new apprenticeship programme. We have the amenity side covered, but we also have the edible side and gardens and parks,” he explains.
A lot of the apprentices’ employers are county councils, as they have been mandated to take on several apprentices across different sectors. As local authorities in charge of many parks and gardens, it is a good fit for them.
“We need horticulturalist knowledge and skill sets to run those green spaces,” John emphasises.
The demand for horticulture programmes has been steady, with COVID-19 helping people to refocus and look at what they can do in terms of outdoor spaces as well as the green agenda, according to John.
“There are a lot of people who come to study here, who are moving away from traditional type roles, and want to see what they can do in the green space, in terms of landscape design, and nurseries. They want to decrease their carbon footprint and help promote a greener and safer environment for them and their families,” he says.
“Within the apprenticeship programme, obviously the employer provides a mentorship to the employee, and they have to give them time every week to guide and train them and to help them with their assignments and college work,” he says.
The age range varies from 18 up to 51 and the gender balance for this year’s programme is nearly a quarter female.
New entrants to horticulture at operative level are getting the minimum wage or just above, but this will significantly rise with experience and higher qualifications.
Although there is a huge challenge with recruitment and finding skilled workers across the horticulture sector, John says one issue is that employers are not advertising roles in the right places.
“Employers need to be innovative with what they are offering workers with regard to accommodation and other amenities,” he says.
Currently, there are approximately 90 horticulture employers who are registered to take on apprentices. All of these employers, once registered can advertise for apprentice positions.
There is huge potential to expand the numbers of those on the apprenticeship.
“The great thing about the apprenticeship is that the apprentice can pick who they want to work with, and a lot of the time, there are opportunities for people locally.
“With amenities, there is a real labour shortage in the landscaping and the nursery sector. People are needed with good landscaping skills and plant knowledge,” he says.
Noeleen Smyth, assistant professor in environmental and sustainable horticulture at UCD.
According to Dr Noeleen Smyth, assistant professor in environmental and sustainable horticulture at UCD, there are huge opportunities in the sector for young people.
She says she is finding that there are more jobs than students at the moment. Every year, they have enquiries for graduates to become managers for large state gardens, retail and production horticulture companies, the landscape and amenity industry and government departments.
Some graduates also go directly to further their academic career at a Master’s or PhD level.
“A recent review report on horticulture education in Ireland highlighted a lack of clarity on what a career in horticulture can entail. For example, if you do nursing, you are a nurse at the end – it’s clear, but in horticulture the career path is wider and more varied.
“This also means for students that the variety is exciting and can offer a bigger range of potential careers at the end of their studies,” says Noeleen.
“Technology for growing is moving at a pace, and horticulture is at the centre of providing sustainable food and plants for the landscapes of the future, whether those landscapes are in urban areas or part of our restored natural habitats,” she says.
Growing plants is the future to solve the climate and biodiversity crises and horticulture is at the centre of this, according to Noeleen.
“Planting our cities to be greener and healthier, for people and nature, helping ameliorate heat and flooding in these times of climate change [is important],” she explains.
This year, seven students are graduating with a degree in horticulture.
“Numbers have decreased over the years, but we have been remaining steady, if low, for the last few years with similar numbers to other smaller major courses such as forestry and crop science,” she says.
If all actions in the National Strategy for Horticulture are implemented, the Irish horticulture sector is expected to grow significantly, with an anticipated 30% increase in farm gate value rising from €559m in 2023 to €688m by the end of 2027.
This will generate more rural employment and result in higher demands for labour in the years ahead.
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