Certified Nursery Professional Forum

After my trip to Ireland i would like to say how lucky we have been here in Oz. I spoke to one nurseryman in Ireland whose turnover has dropped by 80% WOW

Gidday Merilyn
Agree with your sentiments. The biggest issue here as I see it is the poor remuneration. Until our buying public realise how much knowledge we need to produce our wonderful product they will not pay the real cost. Therefore our income will always remain pathetic and who wants a job that doesn't pay enough. Maybe the supply and demand thing will happen and we who are left can start to demand better income.
We just need to keep making our worth known.

Cheers

Just read the latest Nursery paper regarding attracting and training new people for the nursery industry. What I see as more important is trying to retain some of the experienced people who seem to be leaving in droves - taking with them their skills, knowledge and experience. Not much inspiration for young people coming into the industry being confronted with a disgruntled over-worked/underpaid horticulturist!
I'm sure you've all had experience with trying to find suitably qualified staff. Great for those of us sticking it out = guaranteed employment!

The 13th Sept will see me boarding a flight to Ireland to attend the Great Britian & Ireland IPPS conference. The International Board of IPPS will also be in attendance in Kilkenny. My visit has been sponsored by numerous members of the GB&I region and I need to thank Pat FitzGerald from FifzGeralds Nursery. i would also like to thank my mates here at home who have also helped with this trip, especially Elwyn Swane. I will be joined by another 6 Ozzie delegates. I hope to be able to come home with plenty of info to write about.


Cheers

Fantastic news, This programme is so important for our future horties. And old buggers like myself.
Onwards and upwards!!!!!!!
Mark Ross

Gidday all
I think Kate has said it all. Thanks Kate. It is absolutely important that all members get behind this program and make it continue to improve.

Cheers Michael Gleeson

That's great news Fiona - on a lot of fronts.  That CNP is not under any funding threat firstly, of course, but also that it sounds like it's about to get a whole new lease of life through the revamped website, including the Greenlife Careers project.

If potential hortys, responding to the careers project marketing, go to the new website here's hoping they'll see an active and stimulating CNP forum in operation and be encouraged to join our great industry....  so fellow CNPs - let's get active on this forum and help it reach its potential.

Looking forward greatly to seeing it all roll out next Tuesday.

Kate

Hi there,
Sorry to have taken a few days to answer your question.  We are currently working on the final stages of the new NGIA website as well as a new website called Green-Life Careers.  They will be launched next week, so keep an eye out.  I mention this because you will find that there is the CNP page and new forum on this site - so never fear - CNP is still going strong.
Put simply, the funding proposal that NGIA put in to Horticulture Australia LImited (HAL) for marketing monies for CNP was not endorsed - this is where your rumour has come from.  What this simply means is that we will be using other means to get the CNP message out.  We are already working on these so there is no need to worry about the Program.  We continue to increase in numbers - we have reached 255 members this week! 
Regards,
Fiona Kelly
National Training & Recognition Manager
NGIA

Gidday Mark
an interesting comment you make. CNP still seems to be heavily promoted so I wonder if this is only a rumour? Lets see what the mob from Epping have to say.

Cheers Michael Gleeson

Hi All
I have heard on the grape vine that all funding for the CNP programme has been stopped.
  What will this mean for the CNP programme? Is there any info available?
Regards
Mark Ross