A four week bootcamp to upskill people with skills to get employment in the environment sector has helped residents in Ealing.
The Green Skills Bootcamp offers those who take part training and practical experience in the green sector with two of its most recent success students getting work after finding out about it through Ealing Council.
The two graduates, Christina Veldman and Noa Schinas have now been employed by Maydencroft, a company offering environmental services including landscaping across a range of locations.
Offered through Hounslow Council and open to Ealing residents, the free Green Skills Bootcamp course is funded by the Mayor of London Skills Bootcamps and Hounslow Council, in conjunction with Maydencroft, Lampton 360 and Hounslow Highways.
Noa Schinas, 24 from Northfields has been employed by Maydencroft as a landscape and environment operative. He said: “I learned about the Green Skills Bootcamp through the Ealing Job Centre. I was looking for something other than factory or office work. The trainers have been kind and patient with all the learners. My favourite session was learning about invasive, non-native species plants. Then we went to see them, and they were growing everywhere in urban areas, which shocked me.”
Mr Schinas added: “The interview at the end of the course wasn’t too daunting as you had already been prepared for it, understood the company, and had been given tasks during the weeks to show what sort of work they did.”
Christina Veldman, 45 from Chiswick is now a landscape and environment operative for Maydencroft grounds and estates team. She said: “I am so delighted to have been given the chance to get my foot back in the door to my dream job. I am originally from Finland, where I worked on a reindeer farm and studied environmental studies when I was a lot younger.”
Ms Veldman added: “Now that I have been living in the UK, after a 14-year career break raising a family, working in a landscape job is something I never thought possible again. The Green Skills Training Academy is such a great place to learn because you have such fantastic, skilled trainers who work in the field they teach so that they can offer you firsthand knowledge. The trainers returned my passion for the environment, and I gained confidence, especially in the practical work.”
Councillor Louise Brett, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes said: “Green skills are becoming increasingly important in the jobs market. We want to make sure that our residents are equipped with the must-have skills to get green jobs and work closely with Hounslow Council to make this happen.”
Councillor Brett added: “It is fantastic to hear that two of our residents who attended the Hounslow-run ‘Green Skills Bootcamp’ last year are now in employment with Maydencroft, a green land management employer. Both residents will continue to learn in the workplace with Maydencroft’s own training programme.”
Tom Williams, managing director of Maydencroft added: “We are elated to see Christina and Noa embark on their professional journey with Maydencroft. Their success underscores the effectiveness of our training courses and the immense potential that green skills offer. We take great pride in providing a supportive and enriching learning environment that prepares our graduates for real-world challenges while promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship.”
For more information on bootcamp training, click here.
