ELCA-exchange of landscape gardeners
The ELCA has been promoting the European exchange of young landscape gardeners for many years.
During its annual structural survey the ELCA asks companies to come forward who will employ young landscape gardeners from other countries for a certain period. The ELCA can make approx. 100 such training placements in other countries available annually. After completing their vocational training young landscape gardeners are then offered the chance of expanding their professional experience and gaining further training in other European countries. This is made possible by the qualified landscaping companies that are members of the ELCA-Committee of Firms. The broad selection of companies enables young landscape gardeners to make their choice according to specialisation (landscaping and maintaining gardens, public parks, paving, planting trees, tree maintenance, greenery for roofs and facades, engineering and biological work, indoor gardens, golf and sports ground construction) and on the other hand according to language knowledge and cultural interests.
The quality of the ELCA exchange was emphasized in 1993 already by Jacques Delors, the President of the European Commission at that time, on the occasion of the ELCA´s 30th anniversary: "Remarkable initiatives on employees´mobility, especially the younger ones, are the work of your association. The foreign exchange of young landscape gardeners are a personal and vocational enrichment for the participants."
The list of exchange places is available on request from the ELCA office and young landscape gardeners can contact companies directly.