Horticulture & Landscape Operative Apprenticeship
Love the outdoors? The Horticulture Apprenticeship can lead to jobs in public parks and gardens, green spaces and historic gardens, private gardens and estates or in production nurseries and retail outlets.
The Horticulture Apprenticeship has three specialist pathways: soft landscape concentrating on grounds maintenance (including the establishment and maintenance of plants and cultivated areas), hard landscape concentrating on landscape construction (including the establishment of hard surfaces and structures in addition to the establishment of plants in cultivated areas and site management support) or horticulture concentrating on plant propagation and plant growth.
Work is generally based outside and undertaken throughout the year, so as an Apprentice you will work outside in all weathers. You will build up your skills through a range of practical tasks (as is the norm within the industry) gradually building up your portfolio of specialist skills as you progress. A wide range of machinery and tools are used so additional training may be required for certain jobs.
As part of the Apprenticeship, you will have monthly workplace visits from a Learning Development Advisor, with 6 hours per week off the job training which will be tracked. You will build a portfolio showing your work-based evidence.
Entry Requirements
- There are no formal entry requirements for this Apprenticeship, but you may be required to do an Initial Assessment to ascertain your suitability for the course
- If you do not hold a qualification in English & maths at Level 1, you will be required to pass Functional Skills in these subjects and work towards Level 2 prior to the completion of the Apprenticeship
- No other specific qualifications are required as full training will be given
- Employment in the industry
What you will study
- Plant growth and development
- Tools, equipment and machinery
- Vegetation control
- Biosecurity
- Plant identification
- Soil science
- Health & safety process and procedure
- Prevent and control local pollution incidents
- Cultivate and improve soils
- Maintain hard structures
- Work to a specified finish
- Customer care
- Attitude
- Decision making
- Health and safety
- Level 3 Award – Emergency First Aid at Work (Core)
- Level 2 – Safe Use of Pesticides (Horticulture Operative)
- Level 2 – Safe Application of Pesticides (Horticulture Operative)
- Level 2 Safe Use of Abrasive Wheel Machines (Landscaping Construction)
What's Next?
Careers
- Garden Centre Advisor
- Horticulture Production Supervisor
- Landscaper
- Garden Designer
- Horticultural Technician
- Grounds Keeper
