AS a mere sapling in the business world, a 16-year-old Steven Higginbottom rolled up his sleeves to create a new landscaping business by himself.

Today, a decade later, Darwen's Greenfingers Landscape Ltd has an annual turnover of £1million and is helping youngsters fresh out of school gain new skills to give them a boost in the current thorny jobs market.

The business, which employs 30 at its head office in Cemetery Road, Darwen, and another site in Staffordshire, carries out landscaping and ground maintenance work for councils, housing associations and other organisations across the North West.

It is a far cry from its humble beginnings in the gardens of Egerton, near Darwen, in 1993.

Steven, 27, said: "I studied at Myerscough College for a year and when I left I said I was going to do it myself.

"I started off doing a few domestic gardens near where I lived in Egerton and built up from there.

"Of course, at 16 I couldn't drive. My father used to drop me off in the morning, I would do a whole housing estate in the day and he would pick me up at the end of the day."

After the decision in 1997 to move from domestic gardening to landscaping for the corporate sector the company increased in size and strength.

However, Steven felt that there were not enough young people coming into the business and recruitment was a problem.

So he set-up "GF Juniors" which gives 16 to 18-year-olds the opportunity to work, gain experience and receive training all at the same time.

During the apprenticeship, which is combined with courses at Myerscough College, the youngsters are given tests on subjects such as plant identification, the theory of the machinery and health and safety.

As well as learning how to use the tools correctly, repairs and maintenance are carried-out in house, creating more expertise and less cost on the business.

Steven hopes the scheme will have long-term benefits for the business.

He said: "Recruitment of personnel has been a problem with this business from day one.

"What we want to provide the training course to offer a lot of these young lads the opportunity to work for their future, to further their education and gain qualifications. We want to develop these people."

No qualifications are necessary to join as an apprentice and they starting on a salary of £100 a week. Once they have completed the two-year course, they have a Record of Achievement, which includes qualifications, certificates, a personal reference and a record of progress throughout the course.

By this time, the youngsters will be qualified to carry out many jobs, from chainsaw operation to plant recognition, from shredder operation to pesticide handling.

"I felt that I wanted to put something back into the industry and help young people at the same time," said Steven.

And the feedback from the apprentices themselves has been positive.

Ryan Heston-King,18, of Plantation Road, Mill Hill, Blackburn, has been on the apprenticeship for nine months. Ryan, an ex-pupil of Darwen Vale High School, said: "I saw it advertised and thought I should give it a go. I like working with the lads and have learnt new skills such as how to use the mower and hedge cutter. It's been good."

But it is not all work for GF Juniors.

Steven encourages an active social scene with evening out paint-balling, bowling and karting all paid for by the company.

There are currently six young people on the course.

"When they have finished the course they can continue with GF on a full-time basis, start a full-time National Diploma course at a college with the chance to progress to a Higher National Diploma or search for work anywhere in the country, in any sector of the industry, with the knowledge that they have valuable experience and recognised qualifications," added Steven.