Horticulture Apprentice

**Apprenticeship in Horticulture**

The National Botanic Garden of Wales

This is an opportunity to gain skills, practical experience and qualifications in horticulture at your national botanic garden. Working to maintain and develop the plant collections and themed gardens, you will be part of a team assisting horticultural operations, plant conservation, research and education activities.

The scheme includes day release to Coleg Sir Gâr, where you will work towards the Royal Horticulture Society’s Level Two Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture. You will also gain the City & Guilds Level Two Diploma in Work-based Horticulture while working. The qualifications are delivered under the Horticulture (Wales) Apprenticeship Framework. Other opportunities will include conferences, practical training certificates and work placements in partner gardens.

Outline

This is a full-time fixed term position for a two-year period starting September 2024 or earlier by mutual agreement. Training hours are 37.5 per week, on any five days out of seven as required. Typical working hours are from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm. The annual leave allowance is 25 days plus bank holidays.

A minimum salary of £22,308.00.

You are encouraged to explore the Botanic Garden’s web site to find out more about our mission and work botanicgarden.wales.

How to apply

Applications in the form of a cover letter and CV should be sent to Anne-Maria Nicholas, HR Officer.

Role Description

Job title Apprentice in Horticulture

Department Horticulture

Reports to Apprenticeship Co-ordinator; Senior Horticulturists

Responsible for No other

Working as a member of the Horticulture team in the Botanic Garden, the apprenticeship is intended for someone motivated to pursue a career as a professional horticulturist and will enable you, to gain a qualification while developing your horticultural skills and contributing to the maintenance and development of the Botanic Garden’s plant collections and themed gardens.

**Responsibilities**:
1 Complete the RHS Level 2 Certificate in Principles of Horticulture as a day release element.

2 Rotate through the horticultural sections working alongside the Senior Horticulturists and Horticulturists to gain experience of all aspects of horticulture within a botanic garden setting.

3 Involved in propagation and nursery maintenance; maintenance of public glasshouse displays and collections; maintaining a wide range of plant material from trees to herbaceous perennials; and contributing to the general upkeep of the site.

4 Use a range of horticultural machinery in the day-to-day management of the Garden and wider estate.

5 Receive training on the use of the plant records database provided from the Plant Records Officer.

6 Undertake informal work-based assessments set by the Apprenticeship Coordinator; including plant identification, keeping a work diary and producing job cards.

7 Undertake coursework and written projects and tasks set as part of the programme in their own time.

8 Take part in placements at other relevant gardens or institutions of up to four weeks over the course of their tenure.

9 Work within the health and safety standards set particularly for the use of machinery and when working around the public.

10 Undertake weekend duty cover for the Department as per the weekend duty rota.

11 Participate in Garden events, public outreach and educational activities as required.

12 Support the Horticulture Department with content creation for public engagement on NBGWs work and activities related to their role and areas and collections they work within.

13 Undertake any other duties as reasonably required.

Eligibility

The following eligibility criteria applies to the Scheme. Applicants must be able to demonstrate if asked to prove that they meet the requirements listed below.

1. Be a citizen of or have the right to work in the United Kingdom.

2. Do not currently hold a qualification at level four and above in the Credit and Qualification Framework for Wales.

Equality statement

The National Botanic Garden of Wales is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment. We will ensure that recruitment, selection, training, development and promotion procedures result in no job applicant or employee receiving less favourable treatment because of a protected characteristic (as designated under the Equality Act 2010 which replaced and simplified previous anti-discrimination laws) i.e. race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, trade union membership or non-membership, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, age, or on the basis of being a part-time or fixed term worker. The Garden’s objective is to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and otherwise treated solely on the basis of their relevant aptitudes, skills and abilities.

**Job Types**: Full-time, Apprenticeship

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