The landscape industry covers hard, soft and interior landscaping, sports turf and golf greenkeeping, private, heritage and botanic gardens, and commercial grounds, public parks and green spaces.

The landscape industry employs 139,164 people and there are approximately 8,000 businesses.  The industry contributes £3 million to the UK’s Gross Domestic Product and the average turnover increased by 18% in 2000.  The number of employees increased by 2.3% between 2000 and 2001.

Key statistics on the industry:

• 80.5% of businesses employ less than 10 people
• 79.3% of proprietors are male
• 73.8% of staff are male
• proprietors are commonly aged 35-44 years
• staff are commonly aged 35-44 years
• 22.8% of the workforce are aged 35-44 years
• 48.1% aged under 35 years
• 12.2% aged over 55 years
• just over 10% of all establishments report vacancies, of which 6.5% are hard-to-fill
• 1.9% of establishments report skill shortage vacancies

Public and private sector clients are demanding higher levels of skill in both contract management and craft areas.  Specialised skills associated with historic gardens, restoration, interior landscaping and environmental conservation and management are also expected to increase in importance.

Almost 25% of employers are identifying skills gaps amongst the workforce, including: job-specific abilities; awareness of health and safety and legislative requirements; supervisory management; and basic business skills.

Semi and unskilled staff in the industry lack the following skills:

• practical job related skills, such as soft and hard landscaping
• health and safety awareness
• practical horticulture skills
• botany and plant knowledge

Skilled trades staff lack:

• practical and technical job related skills, such as garden design
• plant and equipment training
• health and safety awareness
• management, promotional, presentational and interpersonal skills
• botany and plant knowledge
• IT

Managers in the industry need strategic thinking, vision and leadership.  They mostly lack: staff management; business management; risk management and planning; IT; wildlife and conservation management; and events management skills. 

The vast majority of enrolments in amenity horticulture and landscape industries are in further education, over 16,000 enrolments in 2003/04.  In the same academic year there were 648 higher education enrolments at least 16 establishments in the UK.  Work based learning account for nearly 3,000 enrolments.

Industry drivers affecting future work and employment include:

• changes in business practices such as globalisation, diversification, new technology and products, innovation, and the influences of consumer behaviour and changes in employment laws
• importance of health and safety
• new approached to land management and regional regeneration
• increasing environmental enhancement and waste management
• changing demographic and labour trends affecting recruitment and retention
• increasing trends in competition and leisure sport
• the growing importance of volunteers and community involvement

Source: Sector Skills Agreement Stage 1: Key Drivers of Skill Demand 2005, Sector Skills Agreement Stage 1: Annex 2.7 2005 and Landscape Industry report 2005

For regional distribution of businesses and employees in the industry see:

Proportion of landscape businesses and workforce by region and nation, 2005