Overview
Working and learning in both horticulture and landscape industries is very rewarding, offering diverse employment opportunities and including a range of transferable skills into many other industries.
This part-time work-based apprenticeship is for learners who want to gain hands-on practical skills whilst employed in a work-based industry. It will prepare you with the skills and knowledge to work in the horticulture industry successfully.
Work is generally outside throughout the year, so apprentices frequently work outside in all weathers. Often, people new to the industry will cover a range of hands-on practical tasks with specialist skills learned over 24 months, attending college one day a week.
The college requires you to undergo an initial assessment and a formal interview with the performance coach to see if you meet the requirements of the course and discuss your aspirations and what you are hoping to achieve.
Delivery
The tutors, staff, and performance coaches are highly qualified in their industries. The College provides a plant nursery, library facilities and computer rooms.
Practical lessons will involve hands-on experience with plants, gardening tools, and equipment. You will develop your skills with pruning, propagation techniques, soil preparation and pest control. These sessions will provide you with valuable opportunities to develop your skills and confidence while working with plants.
You will cover the fundamental concepts of horticulture, plant physiology and soil science. Computer workshops focus on developing IT skills. Each learner will be given their own electronic portfolio where they can document their learning journey. You would be expected to upload diary entries reflecting on your work experiences, along with presentations and plant profiles on plants you have worked with to help you learn about scientific plant naming.
Off-the-Job training refers to learning activities that take place outside of your regular work duties; attending college, learning new skills or additional courses related to your industry.
Units
The training specification over the duration of the course will cover the following units:
Unit 1) Health and safety: Being able to identify potential hazards and manage the risks, manual handling, basic first aid, responsibilities to employer and employee understanding legislation relevant to your industry.
Unit 2) Communication: The importance of clear communication and different forms of communication aids and their uses: emails, phone calls, direct contact.
Unit 3) Industry understanding: The importance and benefits of green space in the community and environment, wellbeing, wildlife, and climate. The diversity of businesses within the industry
Unit 4) Business: understanding your organisation, use of IT skills, keeping records, teamwork, awareness of commercial pressure, working safely on site with the public.
Unit 5) Use and maintain non-powered and handheld powered equipment: Using the correct tools, and machinery in your industry, the importance of maintenance and regular checks to ensure they remain in good working order.
Unit 6) Use and maintain pedestrian-controlled powered equipment: Use of lawnmowers, rotovators, strimmers and hedge trimmers, working safely to minimise environmental damage and methods to dispose of waste.
Unit 7) Environmental: controlling sources of pollution, fuel spills, oil, pesticide entering water protected species, recognising invasive species. Reducing waste products, recycling, and environmental best practices.
Unit 8) Plant identification and classification: scientific names including genus, species, and cultivar. Knowing why and how plants are identified.
Unit 9) Vegetation control: How to control and methods used for site clearance including prevention and control measures for pests and diseases on work sites.
Unit 10) Soil Science and Cultivation: Why, when, and how to cultivate soils, different growing media and mulches, and ways to modify soil for plant growth, cultivation, and drainage.
Unit 11) Plant Establishment and Maintenance: Sowing seeds, in open ground, laying turf, planting out plants and aftercare requirements, including feeding and mulching, looking at different pruning methods for different plants.
Unit 12) Plant growth and development : How to manage plants correctly in different environments: basic understanding of the science behind plant growth, roots, stems leaves and flowers and their development. The relationship between environmental conditions and plant growth
Unit 13) Plant health: be able to identify and manage pests, diseases, and disorders. undertake biosecurity measures to prevent transmission of pests and diseases.
Unit 17) Plant propagation: understanding propagation techniques and growing media, using a range of plant material grown from vegetative generative (seed) materials and propagation methods used for storage.
Unit 18) Establish and maintain amenity areas: How to cultivate and maintain a decorative amenity area covering replacement planting, pruning techniques, watering and general maintenance on hedges, borders, and water features.
Unit 19) Ornamental turf: Looking at a range of different grass swards, domestic, fine, rough, recreational and meadow grassland, be able to use a range of machinery to manage turf surfaces.
Unit 20) Behaviours: have a safety-led mind-set for self, colleagues, and the public. Customer care, show dignity, respect and empathy when dealing with others, including clients, the public and colleagues.
End-Point Assessment (EPA)
The EPA can only be taken after the conditions of the Assessment Gateway have been successfully achieved:
- Emergency first aid: Level 3 award in emergency first aid at work
- Pesticides: NPTC City & Guilds, L 2 Principles of safe Handling and Applications of Pesticides Guidance (Pa1) and L2 Award in the Safe Use of Pesticides (Pa6)
- Gateway to end point assessment: On conclusion the above assessment for the gateway requirements have been achieved, in your final year you will be able to proceed to the end-point assessment stage of the apprenticeship. You are expected to complete the assessment gateway requirements within three months of your planned apprenticeship completion.
EPA Consists of:
- Online Knowledge Test
- Synoptic Practical Assessment
- Professional Discussion
Maths and English
If you did not achieve a grade 2 in your GCSEs, you will need to undertake and pass a Level 1 exam and then attempt an L2. If you achieved a grade 3, you must attempt an L3 exam during the apprenticeship.
For those with an education, health and care plan, or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3 and British Sign Language qualification is an alternative to English qualification for whom this is their primary language.
Typically 20% off-the-job training
Since the introduction of new style apprenticeships in May 2017, it’s been a requirement that every apprentice spends at least 20% of their time on off-the-job training. The required 20% off-the-job training hours will be calculated via the apprentices contracted hours of work, holiday entitlement and length of programme and will be clearly specified in our commitment statement. This requirement doesn’t have to be a daunting prospect – and doesn’t even mean the apprentice has to be away from their workplace 20% of the time.
Apprentice wages
Every apprentice must be paid a lawful wage for the time they are in work and in off the-job training. The employer must meet the cost of the apprentice’s wages. An employer can only pay the apprenticeship minimum wage from the start of the apprenticeship programme and not before. You can find information on the national minimum wage, the apprenticeship rate, and the definition of an employee on GOV.UK.
Progression
With experience you could continue with you current Job and progress into a management role, become a supervisor/foreman or manager, or set up your own business.
On completion, you could consider opportunities such as a PPG (professional Gardeners Guild), a three-year traineeship programme in horticultural practices to further development and commitment to professional horticulture
The (Historic and Botanic Garden Training Programme (HBGTP) which English Heritage manages is an unrivalled opportunity for passionate individuals committed to establishing a career in horticulture.