Horticulture Apprentice

Summary

We are looking for someone that loves working outdoors to train as an Apprentice in gardening and landscaping. You must be prepared for hard physical labour and be able to work from your own initiative. You will also be expected to work in all weathers.

Wage: £9,984 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Training course: Horticulture or landscape construction operative (level 2)
Hours: Monday to Friday, with a day release to college on a Thursday. Please discuss the working week at interview.
30 hours a week
Possible start date: Monday 17 March
Duration: 2 years
Positions available: 1

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

We are looking for an apprentice gardener’s assistant to help build business and fulfil customer’s gardening needs. You will train one day a week at Shipley College in Horticulture.
Maintenance Duties will include:

Grass cutting
Strimming
Hedge trimming
Digging over
Weeding
Planting
Landscaping
Turfing

Hard Landscaping Duties:

Fencing, painting, Decking, Paving

Gardening is a very manual job, so you should be prepared for physical labour. You should be ready to work in any weather; sunshine, rain or even snow.

You should be extremely polite and courteous to your customers, and treat their gardens with care and respect. You should have excellent communication skills and be able to talk to customers with confidence. You must be prepared for physical labour and have the initiative to get on with the job.

Starting Wage apprenticeship minimum but the employer is willing to offer a performance pay increase during the apprenticeship.

Where you’ll work

7 Birstal Lane Driglington

Bradford

West Yorkshire

UK

BD11 1JJ

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

SHIPLEY COLLEGE

Your training course

Horticulture or landscape construction operative (level 2)

Equal to GCSE

Course contents

(Core) Apply health and safety processes and procedures including risk assessments and or construction design management (CDM), manual handling, legislative requirements and organisational policies. Follow safe systems of work and safety information in line with employer requirements or site context (for example clearing their route before transporting materials).
(Core) Apply environmental mitigation measures including storage and disposal of waste, for example sorting materials for recycling or composting, acting in compliance with legal requirements, organisational policies and pollution controls.
(Core) Select, undertake a pre start check, set up, clean, store and safely operate tools, equipment and machinery (including pedestrian controlled and handheld) in line with current legislation and business policies.
(Core) Communicate with technical (for example supervisors or managers) and non-technical audiences (for example clients or the public) using language appropriate to the audience.
(Core) Identify plants commonly grown in the UK by scientific names including genus species and or cultivar.
(Core) Maintain the correct phytosanitary and bio-security procedures for the site, in accordance with legal requirements.
(Core) Identify and report symptoms and or signs of commonly found UK plant pests, pathogens and disorders.
(Core) Maintain plant health for example providing for basic needs such as water, nutrition (either organic or inorganic), light.
(Core) Cultivate, improve and preserve soils by mechanical methods and or by hand including amelioration and mulching (these might be imported or natural).
(Core) Clear unwanted vegetation, selecting techniques to be used (for example weeding).
(Core) Remove unwanted or damaged growth from plants using a pruning cut.
(Core) Plant shrubs and a tree using a simple tree pit.
(Core) Install turf for situation.
(Core) Mow turf using pedestrian controlled powered driven mower.
(Core) Maintain or protect hard surfaces, features or structures for example painting, re-gravelling, removing weeds from paving, drain clearance, cleaning.
(Core) Use digital tools and techniques for research, collaboration, continuous professional development and resolution of problems.
(Landscape construction) Measure and set out an uncomplicated site in preparation for landscape construction activities.
(Landscape construction) Use free hand cutting and or bench cutting of hard landscape materials using abrasive wheels.
(Landscape construction) Repair constructed landscape features (simple and noncomplex) for example re-grouting, re-sanding, damaged fencing.
(Landscape construction) Construct paved feature for example path, patio or shed base. Including setting levels, sub bases, laying bases, finishing.
(Landscape construction) Construct vertical landscape features including fences, ornamental vertical features, and walls.
(Landscape construction) Install drainage in landscaping.
(Landscape construction) Construct horizontal landscape features (excluding paving).
(Horticulture) Propagate plants by cuttings and seed sowing (this might be indoors or outdoors). Including selection of suitable growing media and or soil.
(Horticulture) Provide aftercare to recently installed turf and maintain established turf or species rich meadows including irrigation, maintenance, monitoring health and protection from use.
(Horticulture) Identify if plants are suitable to site, purpose and aesthetics.
(Horticulture) Maintain soft landscapes for example - staking or support, division, seasonal clearance, and re-planting.
(Horticulture) Monitor and control plant pests, pathogens, and disorders using basic control methods (including application of chemicals or organic equivalents).
(Horticulture) Plant herbaceous and seasonal planting (for example bedding, herbs or bulbs).
(Horticulture) Prune plants to achieve healthy growth and form (including natural habit and formal or trained form).
(Core) Apply health and safety processes and procedures including risk assessments and or construction design management (CDM), manual handling, legislative requirements and organisational policies. Follow safe systems of work and safety information in line with employer requirements or site context (for example clearing their route before transporting materials).
(Core) Apply environmental mitigation measures including storage and disposal of waste, for example sorting materials for recycling or composting, acting in compliance with legal requirements, organisational policies and pollution controls.
(Core) Select, undertake a pre start check, set up, clean, store and safely operate tools, equipment and machinery (including pedestrian controlled and handheld) in line with current legislation and business policies.
(Core) Communicate with technical (for example supervisors or managers) and non-technical audiences (for example clients or the public) using language appropriate to the audience.
(Core) Identify plants commonly grown in the UK by scientific names including genus species and or cultivar.
(Core) Maintain the correct phytosanitary and bio-security procedures for the site, in accordance with legal requirements.
(Core) Identify and report symptoms and or signs of commonly found UK plant pests, pathogens and disorders.
(Core) Maintain plant health for example providing for basic needs such as water, nutrition (either organic or inorganic), light.
(Core) Cultivate, improve and preserve soils by mechanical methods and or by hand including amelioration and mulching (these might be imported or natural).
(Core) Clear unwanted vegetation, selecting techniques to be used (for example weeding).
(Core) Remove unwanted or damaged growth from plants using a pruning cut.
(Core) Plant shrubs and a tree using a simple tree pit.
(Core) Install turf for situation.
(Core) Mow turf using pedestrian controlled powered driven mower.
(Core) Maintain or protect hard surfaces, features or structures for example painting, re-gravelling, removing weeds from paving, drain clearance, cleaning.
(Core) Use digital tools and techniques for research, collaboration, continuous professional development and resolution of problems.

Your training plan

Level 2 Horticulture or Landscape Operative Standard qualification
Maths and English Functional skills if required
Pesticides: Level 2 Principles of Safe Handling and Application of Pesticides Guidance OR Level 2 Award in the Safe Use of Pesticides
First Aid at Work qualification
Training by day release at Shipley College

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

Maths (grade 3)
English (grade 3)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Customer care skills
Problem solving skills
Team working
Creative
Physical fitness

Other requirements

Please ensure you have researched the role, employer, Shipley College and are able to travel to both. All applicants will be asked to supply a current horticulture targeted CV and attend an apprenticeship guidance session at Shipley college. Applicants may be asked to sit a skills assessment to support their application.

About this company

A well established Garden Maintenance and Landscaping company. Based in Driglington and working all around west Yorkshire.

After this apprenticeship

The employer is looking to offer the apprentice a full time position on a successful completion of the apprenticeship with opportunities to continue developing their horticulture skills..

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

SHIPLEY COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000304836.

Apply now

Closes in 11 days (Wednesday 5 March)

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