By Meg Amendola, CNGA
From visionary mentorship programs to dynamic curriculum evolution, it feels like we’re on the brink of exciting transformation and growth in horticulture education. Greenhouse Grower has focused a significant portion of their July efforts on the exciting future of horticulture. They’ve put together a fantastic article and a three-part podcast series featuring interviews with six horticulture department heads from across the country, including Dr. Mengmeng Gu from Colorado State University (all links below).
Debi and Meg from CNGA had the opportunity to attend the “Bridging Futures in Horticulture: A Conversation with Horticulture Department Heads” panel at Cultivate. This engaging discussion offered a wealth of innovative ideas and inspiring stories from leading horticulture educators.
Here’s a very high level glimpse of what we heard. Experiences like this reinforce our commitment to collaborating with educational institutions and development programs to advance the field and support the next generation of green industry professionals.
- Soft Skills Integration: Pointed out the necessity of integrating communication and management skills into the horticulture curriculum to better prepare students for diverse career challenges.
- Attracting Students: Explored innovative approaches to attract students to the horticulture field by showcasing its high-tech and exciting aspects and promoting innovative research, aiming to shift perceptions and enhance appeal.
- Call for Continued Efforts: Emphasized the need for ongoing collaboration and support to facilitate students’ smooth transition into the horticulture industry, recognizing it as an evolving effort.
- Issues Highlighted: Identified key issues such as student burnout, a shortage of skilled labor, and concerns about industry readiness, which are critical to understanding current challenges in the field.
- Improvement Areas: Noted areas for potential enhancement, including the need for better internship programs, stronger industry-academia collaboration, and more effective mentoring initiatives.
- Successful Strategies: Observed that alumni mentoring, professional mixers, national competitions, clubs, local associations, involved internships and career classes have been effective strategies in advancing student preparation and industry connections.
- Industry-Academia Collaboration: Highlighted the ongoing gap between industry needs and student preparedness, underscoring the importance of aligning expectations and enhancing collaboration between the two sectors. Noted examples from universities exploring ways to connect with students earlier and offer hands-on experiences. Stressed the importance of continued collaboration between industry and academia to establish realistic expectations and improve the quality of internships and mentoring programs.
- High-Quality Internships: Underlined the value of internships in providing practical experience and building career connections, noting their crucial role in bridging the gap between academic knowledge and industry demands. Observed that developing soft skills and offering high-quality internships are pivotal for student success, with structured and meaningful experiences being key to both practical learning and recruitment.
- Success Traits: Recognized that passion and active engagement are significant factors contributing to student success in horticulture, with involvement in relevant activities enhancing career readiness.
Links & Resources
Greenhouse Grower: Why There’s a Bright Future in Horticulture Education
Podcast Part 1 – Insights from Dr. Doug Karcher from Ohio State and Dr. Ryan Contreras from Oregon State
Podcast Part 2 – Dr. Justin Moss from Oklahoma State and Dr. Neil Anderson from Minnesota discuss horticulture education.
Podcast Part 3 – Dr. Desmond Layne from Auburn discusses unique student and industry programs, including collaborations with culinary experts.
CNGA Young Horticulture Professionals
Podcast – Matt Foertmeyer and Denise Mullins RE HRI Leadership Academy, enhancing green industry skills.
