The last twelve months have undoubtably posed challenges for everyone in business, and the MLSA has not been any different.  With that said, now more than ever, it's important to acknowledge our wins.  As such, please find below a summary of some of the MLSAs achievements in the past year, none of which would have been possible without the continued support of our Members.

As you're likely aware, the MLSAs purpose is:

• CONNECT - To connect consumers to MLSA Members & Sponsors
• EDUCATE - To support members to continually improve their skill and craftsmanship
• ADVOCATE - To elevate the public perception of the landscaping industry in SA; and
• GROW - To cultivate industry opportunities - A task that has consumed a lot of the last year!

CONNECT
In order to connect consumers to MLSA members & sponsors, we have transitioned the entire organisation to a new website and Association Management System (AMS).

It was a mammoth task to say the least, but the new AMS makes it simpler for:

• Members to engage with the MLSA and other members directly and indirectly,
• Job seekers to reach out to potential employers, and 
• Consumers to understand more about the landscaping industry. 

To that end FY21.22 saw the MLSA run a radio campaign for the first time ever, designed to educate consumers on the need to engage a licensed landscaper,  whilst we also continued to build on our relationship with Consumer & Business Services to advocate for a dedicated Landscaping Licence.

EDUCATE
Staging face-to-face events to support you to continually improve your skill and craftsmanship certainly looked different in the past year. But with change comes innovation, so restrictions spawned the creation and introduction of The Lunch Wrap series; 30 minute online sessions held at lunch time so you could log-on from wherever you were. All of these sessions were supported by MLSA Sponsors, and having been recorded live, now form part of a resource library available to Members at any time.

The MLSA Awards of Excellence continue to represent the pinnacle of excellence and craftsmanship in landscaping. That's why we’ve invested significant time and energy into the creation of brand new Awards of Excellence entry platform that is set to launch very soon. Reviewing and updating the Awards of Excellence entry process in this way allows more Members to gain the recognition they deserve, whilst protecting against any potential criticism of the anonymity of the judging process.

ADVOCATE
Just like so much of what we do, the Awards of Excellence go a long way to growing interest in the Landscaping industry, but this year our industry development efforts have been broader and more far-reaching than ever before.

The Landscaping industry is in a skills shortage, which is an issue that will take time to navigate and address. That's why we've been undertaking a lot of advocacy this year!

In the past twelve months, we have:

• Participated in the formation of Australian Industry Clusters to ensure the representation of Landscaping in both the horticulture and construction streams.
• Contributed to consultation on the Agribusiness, Horticulture and Conservation Land Management training package to ensure the Landscape Construction subjects reflect the current needs of the industry.
• Engaged with the South Australian Department of Education about the changes to VET in schools and associated visibility for landscaping as a career path.
• Advocated for the creation of skills clusters so that young people in school can gain exposure to landscaping; and
• Have spoken to anyone who'll listen at both the Federal and State levels of Government, about the complexities of the Landscaping industry.

All whilst executing another round of the Introduction to Landscaping pre-apprenticeship program and engaging with job-seekers and school students whenever possible.

GROW
Encouragingly, the most recent round of the Introduction to Landscaping Program saw fifteen energetic job seekers upskilling and joining the industry via employment with MLSA Members. In fact, eleven of those fifteen participants are now set to undertake Traineeships - the best result we've seen from the program to date!

Whilst the funding received to execute the Introduction to Landscaping program has now concluded, I'm busy talking to the Government about opportunities to offer a similar program in order to continue supporting employment.

Ultimately though, to spark significant interest in joining the Landscaping industry, we need to talk to young people directly. That's why we've been exhibiting at the Careers and Employment Expo and the ACE Careers Expo, and the One+ Careers Expo. These events provide us with the opportunity to educate job seekers and school leavers about the opportunities presented by our industry, and to reposition landscaping in the minds of decision makers such as teachers, VET Coordinators and parents. In the last few months, we've spoken to thousands of people about the landscaping industry and that can't be bad for anybody!

As we move toward the end of the 2021.22 financial year at warp speed, I encourage you to speak to myself, Celeste or Joanne about your aspirations for the coming year. As always, we are keen to create solutions that support your business, so let us know what's important to you right now.

Once again, thank you for your support and connection to the MLSA. I am truly grateful to be able to work with each of you.  Whether you're a long-serving or brand new supporter, you are undoubtably one of the MLSAs VIPs!

I am truly excited to see what FY22.23 has in store, and as always, I encourage you to reach out at any time.

Kind Regards,
Amanda