Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship

Program Overview

If you’re a self-motivated individual who enjoys a hands-on approach to learning about horticulture and the natural environment, this apprenticeship is for you. This Horticulture Technician apprenticeship program begins with two to three years of paid on-the-job training from a horticulture employer, followed by in-class or online training delivered by experienced horticulturists. Upon completion of this program, you’ll be prepared to write the qualification exam administered by the provincial government and ready to launch your career.

Program Details

Program Code

HTA2

Credential:

Ontario College Certificate

Your Learning Experience

The Horticulture Technician apprenticeship program will teach you to build and maintain landscapes, gardens and indoor spaces. You’ll also study arboriculture, landscape design, plant identification, plant production and business management.

Upon successful completion of this program and earning an Ontario College Certificate, you’ll be ready to find exciting job opportunities with design-build firms, nurseries and greenhouses, golf courses, garden centres, landscapers, parks and botanical gardens or even become self-employed.

If you’re ready to work and want to combine training with earning power, consider the Horticulture Technician apprenticeship program where you mix workplace training under the direction of experienced trainers and shorter lengths of school training. You’ll find meaningful employment in a job that you’ll - if ever - be asked to sit behind a desk!

Admissions

This is an apprenticeship program. You cannot apply to this program through ontariocolleges.ca. Applicants need a sponsor/employer. Your sponsor/employer must register you with:

Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Apprenticeship/Client Services
72-1200 Commissioners Road East
London, Ontario, N5Z 4R3
519-675-7788
MLITSD is responsible for scheduling your in-school training at Fanshawe College.

Learn More

Career Information

Fanshawe's Horticulture Technician Apprentice program is held in high regard throughout the industry. Demand for graduates of the program is very high in across all facets of the industry including landscape and garden construction and maintenance, plant production in greenhouses and nurseries, golf course development and construction, arboriculture and garden centre and horticulture sales.

Did you know Fanshawe consistently ranks high in graduation employment rates among large colleges in Ontario?

Here are some examples of career opportunities for graduates of Fanshawe’s Horticultural Technician Apprentice (Block Release) [Apprenticeship] program:

Horticulturalist
Develop, grow and harvest fruits, vegetables and decorative plants.

Landscape Technician
Design and implement hardscape and softscape installations.

Horticulture Technician
Transplant, ship, pot, maintain, prune and diagnose problems to maximize yield in a people-oriented retail environment.

Learning Outcomes

Levels 1 and 2

Academic School

School of Design

Program Coordinator:

Michael Pascoe NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)

International Admission Equivalencies

Admission equivalencies for Fanshawe depends on your country of study. Please enter your location to see the requirements for your country below.

Courses

Level 1
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
SFTY-1087	Trade Practices - Safety, Tools & Equip	3.5
On successful completion of this reportable subject the apprentice is able to describe jurisdictional regulations relevant to the trade, safe work practices for responding to on-site conditions, hazards, and emergencies and the operation and maintenance of safety equipment; maintain safety records, driving logs and work records and use and maintain hand tools, power tools and vehicles/motorized equipment, trailers and attachments used in the landscape and horticultural trade.
MGMT-1332	Work and Project Organization	2
On successful completion of this reportable subject the apprentice is able to describe the use of trade-related documentation and reference material and identify processes to conduct site assessments and procedures for receiving, organizing, storing, transporting plants, materials, tools and equipment.
COMM-1160	Communication Skills	1.5
On successful completion of this reportable subject the apprentice is able to demonstrate effective communication practices including, listening, speaking, reading and writing required to function effectively as part of a crew/team in the workplace.
HORT-1078	Horticultural Prinicples - Plant	3.5
On successful completion of this reportable subject the apprentice is able to describe plant morphology and characteristics, environmental factors and soil characteristics that affect plant growth and development; identify 80 ornamental landscape plants common to Ontario using the required nomenclature ( Refer to Appendix D -Ontario Horticultural Technician Plant List), the cultural requirements and pests and diseases as they relate to each plant; describe procedures to prune landscape plants and demonstrate sexual and asexual plant propagation methods.
ENVR-1041	Environmental Principles-Soil,water,envi	2.5
On successful completion of this reportable subject, the apprentice is able to describe the principles of environmental stewardship as it relates to soil and water.
CONS-1084	Pre-Construction Activities	2.5
On successful completion of this reportable subject, the apprentice is able to interpret information from landscape drawings and documentation related to site preparation and identify the requirements for preparing construction sites including performing calculations used in the horticulture industry and use of standard measuring devices.
HORT-1079	Hardscape Installation and Maintenance	2.5
On successful completion of this reportable subject, the apprentice is able to demonstrate the installation and maintenance of landscape paving, steps and retaining walls (natural and precast materials) according to jurisdictional codes and regulations.
HORT-1081	Softscape Installation&maintenance-Turf	2.5
On successful completion of this reportable subject, the apprentice is able to describe the procedures to install sod and turf from seed and maintain grass/turf grass including monitoring turf grass quality, mowing, applying amendments and identifying and correcting grass/turfgrass problems according to industry standards and jurisdictional requirements.
HORT-1080	Softscape Installation and Maintenance	3.5
On successful completion of this reportable subject, the apprentice is able to describe the procedures to install and maintain exterior softscape- plants (woody, herbaceous and annual plants) and materials (growing media and mulch) and demonstrate pruning techniques for young and established shrubs, groundcovers and vines based on the Canadian Landscape Standard (CLS) and jurisdictional regulations.
SFTY-1088	First Aid and Cpr Training	1.5
On successful completion of the reportable subject, the apprentice is able to demonstrate first aid and CPR techniques to respond to emergencies in the workplace. This unit is comprised of the standard First Aid certification requirements.

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Horticultural Technician Apprentice [Apprenticeship]