Meet Glendale’s oldest apprentice, 57-year-old Joseph Carroll

Joseph Carroll completed his five-year apprenticeship with Glendale Liverpool in November 2015.  He was 52-years-old when he joined the scheme making him one of Glendale’s oldest apprentices.

Joseph was originally employed as a seasonal litter picker on the company’s joint venture with Liverpool City Council, Glendale Liverpool.  The joint venture is responsible for the management and maintenance of 10 million square metres of green space across the city of Liverpool.

He comments: “The apprenticeship was advertised at the depot and I decided to apply.  I’ve had a very varied career, I’ve been a graphic designer, signwriter, warehouseman and electricians mate, but gardening has always been my hobby and I wanted to do something involving what I enjoyed.”

The apprenticeship takes the form of a bespoke, work-based programme that provides candidates with both hands-on, workplace training alongside an industry recognised qualification.  With support from his apprenticeship champion and training coordinator, Joseph attained 13 key milestones throughout his apprenticeship.  This included an NVQ level 2 and 3 in Amenity Horticulture, completed in association with Myerscough College, and a Pa1/6 chemical spraying license.

Joseph said: “The main advantage of the scheme has been working with other skilled gardeners.  I’ve learnt a lot of new skills like propagating fruit and vegetables.   Working in the walled garden at Croxteth Hall Park was probably my favourite experience, it was an honour to grow vegetables from seeds and plant all the fruit trees in such a historic place.”

One of the highlights of Joseph’s experience on the apprenticeship scheme was receiving the Myerscough College Apprentice of the Year Award at the fifth annual Glendale Liverpool Employee Recognition Awards held at Liverpool Town Hall in November 2015.

Since completing his apprenticeship Joseph has been employed full-time as part of a team in North Liverpool maintaining eight parks.  He has also been mentoring the apprentices and pre-apprentices at Glendale Liverpool, supporting them through their five-year programme.

He said: “My ambitions now are to continue to do the best I can in the future and to share as much knowledge as I can with our apprentices.  I’d like to do some other courses if I can to keep building my horticultural knowledge and perhaps also get a chainsaw licence.  I’d recommend the apprenticeship.  Glendale has really helped me and I’m always happy to share the skills that Glendale has shown me.”