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Horticulture or Landscape Construction Operative Apprentice Level 2
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Join Bristol City Council as a Horticulture or Landscape Construction Operative Apprentice Level 2. Gain hands-on experience maintaining Bristol's parks and green spaces, develop practical horticultural and grounds maintenance skills, and work towards an apprenticeship qualification while learning from colleagues in the Parks Service.
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
This apprenticeship will give you the opportunity to earn while you learn, developing practical horticultural and landscape maintenance skills while working as part of Bristol City Council’s Parks Service. You will support the South Bristol Parks team with grounds maintenance and horticultural tasks, helping to maintain and improve parks, green spaces and landscape features across a variety of sites.
You will work alongside experienced colleagues and receive full training to support your development. The role will help you build confidence in practical outdoor work, safe working practices, customer service, sustainability and teamwork.
You will:
- Work as part of a team in a grounds maintenance environment to help meet service requirements, including standards for time, cost, productivity and quality
- Assist with propagation, plant production and plant maintenance, including watering, weeding and pest control
- Support the maintenance of parks, green spaces, formal gardens, amenity areas, conservation sites, highways, social housing land, golf course areas and other community green spaces
- Help maintain hard landscape features such as children’s play areas, pathways, structures and other park infrastructure
- Learn how to operate a range of light and heavy equipment safely and keep tools, equipment and machinery clean and serviceable
- Support sustainability through composting, recycling and reducing the use of resources wherever possible
- Engage with members of the public, customers and volunteers in a helpful and customer-focused manner
- Read and follow written instructions, specifications and health and safety information
- Carry out practical outdoor duties which may include walking, kneeling, lifting and working across parks and green spaces.
This role is mainly outdoors and will involve working throughout the year in a range of weather conditions. You will be expected to follow health and safety procedures and use the personal protective equipment provided. Reasonable adjustments will be considered where appropriate.
Where you'll work
You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.
This apprenticeship is available in these locations:
- Ashton Court Estate, Bower Ashton Depot Kennel Lodge Rd, Bristol, BS3 2JT
- Block 15 Unit 9, Cater Road, Bristol, BS13 7TW
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
UNIVERSITY CENTRE SOMERSET COLLEGE GROUP
Training course
Horticulture or landscape construction operative (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
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).
Training schedule
You will work towards the Level 2 Horticulture or Landscape Construction Operative Apprenticeship Standard whilst gaining practical experience within Bristol City Council's Parks Service.
Training will be delivered through a combination of:
- Practical, on-the-job learning across a variety of parks and green spaces in South Bristol
- Off-the-job training delivered by Bridgwater and Taunton College
- Regular reviews with your manager and training provider to support your progress and development
- Completion of apprenticeship assignments and development of a portfolio of evidence for assessment
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College attendance is expected to be approximately one day per week, although the delivery model may vary and will be confirmed by Bridgwater and Taunton College.
The apprenticeship is expected to take 24 months, followed by an end-point assessment period (4 months).
More training information
You will build your knowledge and practical skills through workplace experience, training provider support and regular learning activities.
You will be expected to fully participate in the apprenticeship programme, including attending college or training sessions, completing off-the-job learning and working towards the Level 2 apprenticeship standard.
Essential qualifications
- GCSE in:
- Maths and English (grade 3/D or above (or equivalent))
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Customer care skills
- Team working
- Practical outdoor skills
- Willingness to learn
- Ability to follow instructions
- Awareness of health and safety
- Interest in sustainability
- Basic IT skills
Other requirements
You must have:
- Willingness and ability to fully participate in the apprenticeship programme, including college or training sessions, off-the-job learning and working towards the Level 2 apprenticeship standard
- An interest in horticulture, parks, green spaces, gardening, the environment or outdoor practical work. Previous experience is welcome but not essential
- Good verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to deal with enquiries from the public or colleagues in a polite, clear and helpful way
- Experience of working cooperatively as part of a team in any setting, such as school, college, sport, volunteering or work
- Ability to undertake the practical outdoor requirements of the role, including working in different weather conditions, manual tasks and moving around parks and green spaces, with reasonable adjustments considered where appropriate
- Ability to follow instructions, ask for help when needed and work safely in line with guidance, training and supervision
- Willingness to support sustainability goals through recycling and minimising resource use
- Ability to demonstrate an understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion
Bristol City Council is committed to delivering high-quality services for the people of Bristol and making the city a better place for everyone.
We value having a workforce as diverse as the city we serve. We welcome, develop and promote people from all sections of the community, and appointments are made on merit.
This role sits within the Growth and Regeneration Directorate and will support important work linked to environmental performance, climate action and sustainability across the council and the wider city.
https://www.bristol.gov.uk/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
- Generous annual leave allowance
- Supportive working environment
- Opportunity to gain a nationally recognised apprenticeship
- Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
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