Meet graduate apprentice Adam Ryan

Adam Ryan was employed on a five-year apprenticeship with Glendale Liverpool in 2009 when he was 20-years-old.  He found out about the scheme through his advisor at the government information, advice, guidance and support service, Connexions.

The five-year apprenticeship scheme run by Glendale Liverpool takes the form of a bespoke work-based programme that provides candidates with both hands-on experience and workplace training.

With support from his apprenticeship champion and training coordinator, Adam completed 13 key milestones throughout his apprenticeship.  This included an NVQ level 2 and 3 in Amenity Horticulture, completed in association with Myerscough College, a Pa1/6 chemical spraying license and a trailer license.

Adam comments: “I was attracted to the apprenticeship because I’ve always wanted to work outdoors and to me, it was not just a job, it was a career move.  The advantages of the scheme were learning from skilled gardeners on a daily basis and having set targets for you to achieve so you always knew what was expected of you.

“The scheme has developed my skill set in a way no other job could.  It has provided me with every opportunity and enabled me to stay on with Glendale as a full-time employee.  I’ve now been promoted to the position of team leader and this has allowed me to teach other apprentices the same skills that I’ve gained.  I’d highly recommend the Glendale apprenticeship scheme because it is a career that they give you and the organisation gives you all the support you need.”

Adam graduated from his five-year apprenticeship with Glendale Liverpool in 2014 and in 2015 he was promoted to the position of team leader within the organisation.  In the same year, he received the Employee of the Year award at the Glendale Liverpool Employee Recognition Awards Ceremony in recognition of his dedication and hard work.

One of the most rewarding experiences Adam had during his apprenticeship journey was being given the opportunity to join his fellow apprentices sailing to Belfast as part of the ApprenticeShip Cup.  The ApprenticeShip Cup is the UK’s largest tall ship regatta and is organised by Merseyside Adventure Sailing Trust (MAST).  The competition encouraged the development of the core skills necessary for business such as self-confidence, teamwork, problem-solving, leadership and communication.

Adam’s ambitions are to continue improving the cluster of parks in North Liverpool that he is responsible for and providing valuable advice, guidance and support to the pre-apprentices joining Glendale Liverpool.  In the future, he would like to try and achieve an RHS diploma.