Garden Maintenance Operative Apprenticeship

Apprentice gardener required for a grounds maintenance business, based south of Reading. We require a motivated, polite, hard working team member. With a wide range of horticultural skills to be learnt, you can be proud of what you have achieved each week.

**Employer**

ROOTS SHOOTS LEAVES LIMITED

A growing business providing grounds maintenance, Japanese knotweed control and tree services. We are in our Sixteenth year and have built a reputation for providing a complete, high quality horticultural service with polite and efficient staff.

**Vacancy description**

Roots shoots leaves Ltd carry out a wide range of horticultural jobs on commercial/communal grounds throughout the Thames Valley. The tasks you will be involved with include:

- Grass cutting (striping)
- High quality hedge cutting and pruning, leaf collection
- Tree pruning, planting, landscaping and there is also the opportunity to get involved with Japanese knotweed control

On the job training is provided, with an ability to work in a team, and also to be self-motivated, a requirement. We work on a wide variety of properties from business parks and care homes, to large private estates. A range of different equipment is used and work is always conducted to a high standard. There will be regular interaction with clients and/or residents, and so a polite, well presented representative of the business is an important quality. No two weeks are the same, and a desire to be proud of what you have achieved, is vital.

Other duties include:

- Regular garden maintenance for private and commercial sites
- Garden Tidy Ups
- Hedge & Grass Cutting
- Turfing
- Mulching
- Planting
- Pruning
- Lawn Care

We are a relaxed and friendly team and have an excellent working environment, We are passionate about what we do and want to open this opportunity up to someone who has a similar passion about horticulture as we do.

We meet at the office in the mornings in Aldermaston and travel out to sites as a team.

Training will take place at Berkshire College of Agriculture and you will attend college every other week. You will receive first aid and Pa1 free as part of this training.

**Working week**
Monday to Friday 7.30am to 5pm, but might have seasonal changes due to day light working hours.
Total hours per week: 40.00

**Desired skills**
- To be horticulturally minded and enjoy working outside.
- A basic understanding of gardening techniques would be helpful,
- A drivers licence a bonus, but is not essential
- Some experience with using petrol-powered equipment would be useful.

**Personal qualities**
- Polite and presentable.
- A desire to learn and to be open to new ways of doing things.
- To be able to work diligently to achieve a goal individually or as a team.
- A non-smoker, with good interpersonal skills.

**Desired qualifications**

There are no qualifications required in this role although a working, everyday English and Maths standard is necessary with regards to following Health and Safety requirements.

**Future prospects**

Applicants have the opportunity to become a permanent member of the team, after the apprenticeship, once they have established themselves within the business.

**Things to consider**

There is a requirement to be physically fit and able. There is lifting of equipment and green waste involved every day, and quite a lot of physical activity and movement involved. We also, within reason, work in all weathers.

From the April 2019 a National Minimum Wage (NMW) for apprentices has been introduced for young people aged 16-18 and those aged over 19 in the first year of their Apprenticeship. The new rate is £4.81 per hour. The new NMW applies to time working plus time spent training as this is also part of the Apprenticeship. Anyone not covered by the age category above will be entitled to the NMW appropriate to their age.

RSL pay apprentices above the NMW and the recommended pay scale, and would pay a wage £12,000 per year for employment during the apprenticeship.

**Training to be provided**
- College attendance required once a week
- Diploma in Horticulture Level 2
- Functional Skills Maths unless exempt
- Functional Skills English unless exempt

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

**Salary**: £240.00 per week

Schedule:

- Monday to Friday

Application question(s):

- Are you physically able to carry out the work required as a grounds maintenance operative, with lifting of green waste and periods of time working with equipment? Have you examples of working hard to achieve a common goal, with physicality involved?
- We require someone who has a willingness to learn new techniques, continuingly looking to improve their skills and work closely as a team. Have you worked in that sort of environment before and how will you react to differences of opinion?

Reference ID: ROOTS SHOOTS LEAVES LIMITED