Horticulture Apprenticeships at East Durham College

Gardening is so much more than pottering around at the back of your house – specialist horticulture professionals work in public parks and gardens, green spaces, historical gardens, for private clients tending to their gardens and so much more!

As a horticulture apprentice, you could find yourself tending to the gardens and surrounding estate of all kinds of places – ultimately, where you work will determine how your day-to-day work looks and you could find yourself working on several gardens at a time, or be permanently based looking after a garden in a fancy estate.

What Skills Will I Learn as A Horticulture Apprentice?

Although again the work you do will vary depending on where you work, horticulture apprentices can expect to learn such things including:

• Understanding of the importance of green spaces and using horticultural skills to improve and maintain these spaces
• Working in line with a businesses’ values and working to complete projects
• Communicating and working alongside experienced horticulture professionals
• Health and safety, including work safely with potentially dangerous equipment such as pole pruners
• Environmental factors including waste and waste reduction, recycling and being environmentally-sound in all the work you’re doing
• Plant growth and development, including identification, using the correct nutrients and the science behind plant growing
• Using a wide range of tools, equipment and machinery related to horticulture
• Soil science and how to cultivate soils for different purposes

If you’d like more advice on which apprenticeship to take, or would like to register your interest for an apprenticeship, we can help. Please contact the East Durham College apprenticeship team directly by calling 0191 518 8294 or 0191 518 5587 or you can email apprenticeships@eastdurham.ac.uk.