Horticulture or landscaping supervisor
Level 3 · AdvancedAgriculture, environmental and animal care 2.5 yr typical
About this apprenticeship
What it involves
The Horticulture or Landscaping Supervisor apprenticeship at Level 3 trains you to supervise teams of operatives, manage day-to-day horticultural or landscaping operations, and ensure the quality of work meets client and contract requirements. You will develop deeper plant and technical knowledge alongside the people and organisational skills needed to lead a team on site. It leads to management roles in landscape contracting, parks and gardens, commercial horticulture, and estate management.
On the job
What you’ll learn
Intermediate plant science - identification, nutrition, and disease diagnosis
Team supervision, briefing, and on-site people management
Contract scheduling, resource planning, and productivity monitoring
Pesticide application and pesticide regulations (Pa1, Pa6 awareness)
Machinery management and operator competence assessment
Client communication and complaint resolution on site
Health and safety supervision including risk assessment and COSHH
On the job
What you’ll do day to day
Brief and supervise a team of horticulture or landscaping operatives
Plan daily work schedules and allocate tasks to team members
Monitor work quality and ensure it meets contract specification
Carry out horticultural and landscaping tasks alongside the team
Liaise with clients on site to resolve issues or agree variations
Conduct and record on-site risk assessments and toolbox talks
Manage machinery checks, fuel, and maintenance schedules
The deal
How this apprenticeship works
You earn a wage from day one. You are a paid employee, not a student. There are no tuition fees - the training is funded by your employer and the government.
About 20% is “off-the-job” training. Roughly a day a week is spent learning away from your normal duties - at a college, training provider, or online - working towards a recognised qualification.
It ends with an end-point assessment (EPA). Near the end, an independent assessor checks you can do the job to the national standard - through tests, a project, a portfolio or an interview. Pass it and you are fully qualified.
How to get there
What you need to start
Level 3 (Advanced) - roughly A-level level. Employers usually look for some GCSEs (often English & maths around grade 4/C) or a Level 2 apprenticeship first. English & maths can sometimes be finished during training.
What’s next: Can lead to a Level 4/5 (Higher) apprenticeship, or straight into the role.
Entry requirements are set by each employer and can vary - always check the specific vacancy.
Hear from employers
What it’s really like
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