Growing Careers & Cultivating Change: Insights from the MorePeople Podcast with HTA Leaders
The MorePeople Podcast is back and this time, it's a two-part series diving deep into the world of horticulture, career development, and industry advocacy. In Part 1, host Andrew Fitzmaurice welcomes Fran Barnes, CEO of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), and Will Armitage, HTA Vice President, for a lively and insightful discussion.
Together, they explore everything from career pathways in the sector to the role of lobbying in shaping policy, and why environmental horticulture deserves more national attention.
Meet the Guests: From Broadcasting to Blooming Careers
Fran Barnes brings a rich and varied background to her role as CEO of the HTA. After 20 years at the BBC, she transitioned into agricultural communications with the NFU, where she led campaigns and lobbying efforts for over a decade. Now at the HTA, she’s focused on enhancing member services, lobbying Westminster, and strengthening events and industry engagement.
Her career path, from journalism to lobbying and now horticulture, illustrates the power of embracing change:
“Sometimes you just have to go with the flow of where the river of your career is taking you and do what you enjoy doing.”
Will Armitage, Vice President of the HTA, has deep roots in the industry. He previously ran his family’s garden centre business in West Yorkshire, founded a boutique gardening brand, and now consults for horticultural and catering businesses. His experience spans the full spectrum, from hands-in-the-soil operations to high-level strategy.
What is the HTA—and Why It Matters
The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) represents a wide cross-section of the UK’s environmental horticulture industry, from growers and retailers to landscapers and manufacturers. While often overshadowed by edible horticulture (think fruit and veg), environmental horticulture, plants, trees, gardens, and green infrastructure, plays a massive role in national wellbeing, the economy, and climate action.
“Nearly 700,000 people are supported by employment in environmental horticulture,” Fran notes. “With the right government support, the sector could contribute over £40 billion to the UK economy.”
Yet, despite its vast potential, environmental horticulture is still under-recognised in public policy.
Growing People: HTA’s Role in Career Development
Career development is central to the HTA’s mission and it’s about more than just entry-level recruitment.
1. Apprenticeship Programmes
Through the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL), the HTA runs successful apprenticeship schemes that give young people hands-on industry experience. Fran shared stories from a recent boot camp, where enthusiasm was high and skills impressive. Top motivations for joining the field?
Seeing the tangible results of your work
Avoiding office life
And yes getting a tan (weather permitting)!
2. Ongoing Training
The HTA offers online courses tailored to different career stages, ensuring professionals can keep developing throughout their working life.
3. Events & Networking
From national events to regional engagement plans, the HTA acts as a convener, facilitating knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning. These networks help professionals discover opportunities and stay engaged.
“You don’t know what you don’t know,” Andrew points out, a reminder of how vital industry visibility is to career growth.
4. The Employer’s Role
Fran also highlights the need for businesses themselves to invest in talent:
“What happens if we train them and they leave? The real question is: what happens if you don’t train them, and they stay?”
Horticulture’s Bigger Picture: Health, Climate, and Wellbeing
Both Fran and Will emphasise horticulture’s wide-reaching benefits, especially environmental horticulture:
It enhances mental health and wellbeing, particularly in urban settings.
It plays a key role in climate resilience, supporting net-zero and biodiversity goals.
It nurtures connections between people, places, and nature.
“Horticulture infiltrates every corner of life,” Will says. “It belongs in schools, cities, homes, it’s everywhere.”
Despite this, edible horticulture still gets more attention in policy discussions. That’s something the HTA is actively working to change.
Lobbying for the Future: How HTA Engages Government
A major part of HTA’s work is lobbying and as Fran explains, it’s about consistency, visibility, and building relationships:
“If you're not there, you're not listened to.”
After the recent election, the HTA moved quickly to engage:
Writing to every MP inviting them to visit members’ businesses
Requesting meetings with the Prime Minister, Chancellor, and Secretaries of State
Monitoring policy changes from events like The King's Speech
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Many MPs have already expressed interest in visiting member sites, which Fran says is critical for raising awareness of the sector’s challenges and opportunities.
“No MP I’ve met doesn’t enjoy visiting a grower, retailer, or landscaper. It’s tangible. It’s uplifting. And it gets results.”
Final Thoughts: A Sector on the Rise
This episode of the MorePeople Podcast is a powerful reminder that horticulture is more than planting flowers: it’s about growing futures. Through focused career support, relentless policy work, and a commitment to greener, healthier spaces, the HTA is helping transform both the perception and the potential of this essential sector.
