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Apprentice Soft Landscaper
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Apprentice Soft Landscaper
Apprentice Soft Landscaper required for a small, niche company specialising in planting design, replanting, and enhancing private landscapes for climate resilience and maximum biodiversity. You'll gain hands-on experience in innovative landscape maintenance techniques while working on unique, eco-friendly projects.
What you'll do at work
- A small, dynamic and knowledgeable team environment
- Working in an array of high-end private gardens with a range of styles focusing on a range of maintenance tasking including hedge cutting, mowing (ride on included)
- Full PPE and uniform provided
- Felco secateurs and holster provided.
- Bed and border care including pruning
- Planting, and irrigation
- 8 hour day with 2/3 breaks around 30 mins long
Where you'll work
Cottes Hill Farm
Station Road, Haddenham
Aylesbury
HP17 8DD
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
THE WINDSOR FOREST COLLEGES GROUP
Training course
Horticulture or landscape construction operative (level 2)
What you'll learn
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).
- 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.
- 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.
- Communicate with technical (for example supervisors or managers) and non-technical audiences (for example clients or the public) using language appropriate to the audience.
- Identify plants commonly grown in the UK by scientific names including genus species and or cultivar.
- Maintain the correct phytosanitary and bio-security procedures for the site, in accordance with legal requirements.
- Identify and report symptoms and or signs of commonly found UK plant pests, pathogens and disorders.
- Maintain plant health for example providing for basic needs such as water, nutrition (either organic or inorganic), light.
- Cultivate, improve and preserve soils by mechanical methods and or by hand including amelioration and mulching (these might be imported or natural).
- Clear unwanted vegetation, selecting techniques to be used (for example weeding).
- Remove unwanted or damaged growth from plants using a pruning cut.
- Plant shrubs and a tree using a simple tree pit.
- Install turf for situation.
- Mow turf using pedestrian controlled powered driven mower.
- Maintain or protect hard surfaces, features or structures for example painting, re-gravelling, removing weeds from paving, drain clearance, cleaning.
- Use digital tools and techniques for research, collaboration, continuous professional development and resolution of problems.
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(Landscape construction)
- Measure and set out an uncomplicated site in preparation for landscape construction activities.
- Use free hand cutting and or bench cutting of hard landscape materials using abrasive wheels.
- Repair constructed landscape features (simple and noncomplex) for example re-grouting, re-sanding, damaged fencing.
- Construct paved feature for example path, patio or shed base. Including setting levels, sub bases, laying bases, finishing.
- Construct vertical landscape features including fences, ornamental vertical features, and walls.
- Install drainage in landscaping.
- 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.
- Provide aftercare to recently installed turf and maintain established turf or species rich meadows including irrigation, maintenance, monitoring health and protection from use.
- Identify if plants are suitable to site, purpose and aesthetics.
- Maintain soft landscapes for example - staking or support, division, seasonal clearance, and re-planting.
- Monitor and control plant pests, pathogens, and disorders using basic control methods (including application of chemicals or organic equivalents).
- Plant herbaceous and seasonal planting (for example bedding, herbs or bulbs).
- Prune plants to achieve healthy growth and form (including natural habit and formal or trained form).
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Training schedule
- Weekly day release into Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA)
- Level 2 Horticulture Operative Apprenticeship Standard
- Level 2 maths & English Functional Skills if required (as part of your day release into college)
- Level 3 First Aid at Work
- An assessor will visit you at your employer every 8-10 weeks
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Other requirements
Good work ethic and general work fitness is an advantage. Being able to drive is a bonus. The Ability to get to Haddenham HP17 8DD for 7.30am will be essential. Experience with maintenance equipment is a bonus (Hedge cutters, mowers, strimmer etc) Plant knowledge is also an advantage.
About the Company
Two Oaks Landscapes Ltd started in 2017 by George Butler who trained at Writtle college and then furthered his experience abroad in Australia and New Zealand for 3 years before returning and starting the company focusing on high end maintenance with particular attention to planting landscapes that are climate resilient and biodiverse rich. Two Oaks Landscapes has adapted to customer requirements and trends to heavily reduce pesticide use, using quieter, battery powered machinery and eradicating peat usage, while helping customers reduce their water usage by implementing irrigation systems to water less and more efficiently. The future of the company is still very passionate about climate resilient planting, given the extremes of weather over the last few years, learning and using water more efficiently, maintaining these landscapes to the highest possible standards. We look closely as a company to adapt to our changing climate in the way we work and plant and maintain. Recently paying more attention to the efficiency of irrigation systems. Installation and maintenance.
Benefits
- Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship.
- Full term employment
- Continuing study programmes possible
- Irrigation training possible
- Spraying course possible
Contact
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
THE WINDSOR FOREST COLLEGES GROUP
George Butler
george@twooakslandscapes.co.uk
07475752950
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000045016.
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