Apprentice landscapers help plant and manage gardens and parks to offer pleasant environments for people to live, work, and relax in.
Some landscapers specialise in indoor projects using plants and garden features, such as those seen in shopping centres or large office buildings.
You’d use various tools and technology, such as miniature motorised diggers.
Garden designers or landscape architects would produce blueprints for you to follow. Then, you’d utilise your plant expertise to guarantee that they develop and flourish.
Responsibilities
Throughout your apprenticeship, you may help:
- talk to clients about what they need
- work from a plan made by a garden designer or landscape architect
- plant shrubs and trees, order supplies and sow lawns
- install paths, water features and rock gardens
- advise clients on how to look after the space.
Salary
- Starting salaries for an apprentice is £16,000 per year.
- Experienced landscapers can earn up to £26,000 per year.
Working hours
You will typically work 38 to 40 hours per week, working some weekends depending on the project and time of year.
Working environment
Unless your responsibilities entail inside gardening, you will spend a significant amount of time outdoors in all weather conditions. Your work will be physically demanding since you will be digging, lugging weighted wheelbarrows, and laying pavement slabs.
Qualifications
Qualifications you can achieve as an apprentice lanscaper include:
- Level 2 Horticulture And Landscape Operative – Entry requirements for this level include some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship. This qualification takes 24 months to complete.
Skills
On a landscaping apprenticeship, you’ll learn:
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to work well with others
- physical skills like lifting, bending and carrying
- ambition and a desire to succeed
- customer service skills
- the ability to work well with your hands
- physical fitness and endurance
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device.
Career path and progression
With experience you could:
- move up to become a landscape supervisor or landscape manager
- become self-employed
- move into teaching