Sheffield apprentices leading the way from grey to green

With its rich culture and heritage, the famously known ‘Steel City’ of Sheffield has economic ambitions today that lie beyond its industrial roots, with nature a key feature at the heart of its vision to be ‘The Outdoor City’.

Crowned ‘the greenest city’ in the UK, Sheffield has become a leading ambassador of one very distinctive accolade that sets it apart; boasting 61% green space, that makes it the 2nd highest percentage of any city in the world, offering a multitude of green oasis experiences across the urban and rural landscape.

As Time Out concluded in 2023: “A city once synonymous with coal-blackened buildings and industrial churn, Sheffield is now more familiar with another colour: green.”

From ancient woodland to public parks, many of which have significant natural and ecological value, Sheffield City Council (SCC) is responsible for maintaining more than 800 green spaces across 4,000 hectares. This includes 83 parks, 181 woodlands and 262 Nature Conservation sites, and boasts 18 award-winning parks that have received a prestigious Green Flag Award – the international quality mark for parks and green spaces.

Helping to firmly establish Sheffield as a national centre of excellence for green spaces, the Council’s Parks and Countryside team have responsibility for the management, maintenance and development of Sheffield’s parks, woodlands, and recreational green spaces and conserving their built and natural heritage.

They recently welcomed their latest intake of Greenspace Apprentices, expanding the apprenticeship team to 10. The new recruits will now embark on their Level 2 Landscape and Horticulture Apprenticeship.

Apprentice Kaitlin

Faced with a climate and nature emergency that SCC declared in 2021, coupled with a skills shortage and lack of training options, the Greenspace Apprenticeships are helping to cultivate a workforce that can evolve Sheffield’s green spaces to overcome these challenges and achieve net zero goals.

To establish the required skill set and knowledge and build upon the wider environmental role that Sheffield greenspaces offer, SCC has developed its own in-house training programme. This has been vital in providing opportunities to upskill new recruits while also preserving the wealth of experience and knowledge amassed by the Parks and Countryside team.

Recent projects that Greenspace Apprentices have been involved with that are helping to create varied habitats, clean air, flood mitigation, a place to relax and play include:

• Planting a new Mediterranean bed within the Grade II listed Botanical Gardens.
• Renovating a sensory garden within a 20-hectare parkland area.
• Supporting the Rangers and Forestry team harvesting willow, maintaining newly planted trees, building wooden benches and installing cast iron benches in a number of parks.

Projects like these provide a range of benefits which are helping to maintain the high standards people can enjoy across Sheffield’s green spaces. Working with the Parks and Countryside team, the Apprentices are all contributing to make sure that green spaces are kept in the best possible condition, are havens for wildlife, providing safe, welcoming and pleasant spaces to enjoy nature and also meet educational and therapeutic needs.

Apprentice Matt

With applicants from all backgrounds - school leavers, career changers and of all ages, one factor consistently shines through: an overwhelming passion and interest for working in green spaces, while seizing the opportunity to gain a hands-on experience from the wider Parks and Countryside team.

Matthew Watson, a Year 2 Apprentice in the Parks and Countryside team, shared his thoughts on the scheme: “I love the outdoors, being surrounded by nature and really wanted to focus on the Apprentice Matt Watson Apprentice Rebecca 9 maintenance, protection and upkeep of the environment. The Apprenticeship with Sheffield City Council was a great way for me to start my career working in green spaces. At the same time, I’m working towards climate goals and interacting with the public to support their needs. It’s enabling me to start a career doing what I really enjoy while making a positive contribution to the climate, ecology and biodiversity.”

Chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee at Sheffield City Council, Cllr Kurtis Crossland: “The Greenspace Apprenticeships are helping to make sure our green spaces are ecologically sustainable for the future, providing environment, economic and wellbeing benefits. At the same time, we are committed to retaining the tremendous experience and knowledge from our Parks and Countryside team, which is now being passed on to the next generation.

As one of Sheffield’s largest employers, Sheffield City Council offers a wide range of apprenticeships, where candidates from all walks of life can work towards a professional qualification while gaining valuable skills and work experience.