Horticulture Operative Apprentice

RUGBY SCHOOL
Rugby (CV22 5EH)
Closes in 20 days (Wednesday 21 October 2026)
Posted on 29 September 2026

Summary

Are you interested in a career in horticulture? We have an opening for an apprentice to learn a large variety of gardening skills under the direction of the Head Gardener and his team in the grounds of the prestigious Rugby School.

This apprenticeship is with Warwickshire College.

Wage
£16,224 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Training course
Horticulture or landscape construction operative (level 2)

Hours
8:00am- 4.30pm Monday to Friday with a 30 min unpaid lunch in summer
8:00am- 4.00pm Monday to Friday with 30 mins unpaid lunch in winter
Total hours per week: 39

Start date
Sunday 1 November 2026

Duration
2 years

Positions available
1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

A wide variety of horticultural skills will be learned including:

• Maintenance of hanging baskets and containers
• Maintenance of annual bedding displays – watering, feeding, weeding, deadheading etc.
• Maintenance of turf and lawned areas
• Using the machinery associated with the relevant gardening requirement (subject to appropriate training and supervision as required)
• Maintenance of shrub and herbaceous borders, to include weeding, watering, planting, deadheading and plant support
• Maintenance of paths and driveways

Where you'll work

Lawrence Sheriff Street
Rugby CV22 5EH

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider
WARWICKSHIRE COLLEGE

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.