Horticulture is not possible without good, qualified and motivated employees and management. A growing number of companies, however, have vacancies and are struggling to find the right people to fill them. There is a growing need for specialists in various fields, such as green production, controllers and operators, quality assurance, logistics and marketing. Investing in human capital by training and coaching pays off directly.

Making knowledge available and connecting experts is of great importance to remain innovative and gain traction for talent. It is necessary to attract qualified employees to retain the innovative power.

Dutch Sprout is a collaboration between experienced horticulture experts and education providers. Our goal is to share high level horticultural expertise worldwide, using a unique educational approach that simultaneously mobilizes and leverages local knowledge. We are convinced that ensuring talent development is of importance to create economically resilient and sustainable local food systems.

The collaborative is the gateway to Dutch greenhouse experts that are part of the large network of partners of Dutch Sprout. The network includes organisations like Wageningen University, Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Lentiz College and Wellant College. All these organisations have direct access to specialists in breeding, seeds and young plants, greenhouse technology, marketing, logistics, trade, finance and quality control.

The core task of Dutch Sprout is the development and execution of training programs. These programs are based on the educational design ‘blended learning’ and ‘action learning’. The programs are of high quality and stand out because they are tailor made and transferable for local contexts. These programs are aimed at empowering local partners to deliver and maintain high quality training according to proven Dutch learning methods. Dutch Sprout supports the development of organizations in the horticulture cluster and policymakers by creating optimum learning conditions and processes to realize long-term growth and success.

To be able to carry out training, an up to date training centre representing the latest high-tech greenhouse setting is required. Dutch Sprout offers a service to evaluate and update local training centres. Dutch Sprout offers online office support for the training centres in order to facilitate the management of the training centres. The training centres can be positioned in a production location or on a special location near greenhouse production sites.

Dutch Sprout believes that learning is most effective when it is delivered contextually, related to practice. Therefore, all our programs are developed with a focus on specific functions and jobs. They also use real life case studies relevant to the specific working environment of the students and professionals we teach. We use this approach at all levels, from greenhouse workers and supervisors through to managers, entrepreneurs and investors. To ensure a high-quality standard, we develop our programs with profiling and entrance level tests. This ensures that the programs suit the individual needs of each learner and the company he or she is working for. The learning outcomes are directly linked to the international high standards from the high-tech greenhouse business and evolve over time.

For long-term success, local knowledge transfer and robust education systems are crucial. Therefore, ‘train the trainer’ programs are always part of our project approach. Our programs are designed in such a way that our involvement decreases over time. In our place, local companies and education partners take the lead and create a new model for growing local horticulture talent!