23 September 2024
Apprenticeships proving popular at Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture
Interested in a career in horticulture? Principal of the Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture, John Mulhern shares key details of the courses offered – available to students or potential apprentices looking to further their knowledge and skills in the horticultural sector.
September has been busy at the Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture, as we’ve welcomed new students to both our sites in the National Botanic Gardens and the Ashtown Research Centre.
The college takes in students on our one-year Certificate, two-year Advanced Certificate and three-year Degree programmes, available to full-time or part-time applicants wishing to pursue careers in horticulture. We cover all aspects of horticulture in these courses, which are hosted at our facilities in the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin and the Teagasc Research Centre in Ashtown, Dublin 15.
Apprenticeships
Second year Landscape apprentices completing a windbreak project in Teagasc Ashtown with their teacher Paddy Smith
This year, for the second year, we have also taken in a class of 31 young men and women as horticultural apprentices. All are fully employed in the horticultural sector and have chosen to earn and learn simultaneously by pursuing the Higher Education Level 6 Apprenticeship in Horticulture with their employer and Teagasc. As well as the landscape sector, which was represented last year, we’ve welcomed apprentices from the nursey, garden centre, gardens and parks and the veg sectors.
All the apprentices are supported by workplace mentors, where they spend 80% of their time, and then they come to the Teagasc College for 20% of the time (50 days in blended format during the year) and cover the academic learning. The apprenticeship programme is also Green cert accredited.
In year one, they cover areas including: plant science; plant propagation; plant protection; machinery; and health and safety. In year two, areas such as financial management, their capstone project and anchor modules around their chose specialism form the focus of their studies.
Shane Brett, College Teacher, with some of the first year horticulture apprentices outside the famous curvilinear range in The National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin looking at plant families
The learning model utilised in the apprenticeship programme gives an unrivalled connection with the learner and the mentor, which facilitates the seamless transfer of knowledge in an applied way. It allows businesses in the sector who partake in the programme to attract and train new young talent into their area of work, which is very much needed in the current climate.
This programme is really attractive to people who want to physically work in the industry and get a qualification simultaneously. For employers, there is the benefit of holding onto employees; allowing them to grow into their business and to pass on the key skills that they themselves have learned to a new generation who will bring new ideas and energy to the business.
It’s a really exciting time for new people coming into the industry and we encourage all employers in horticulture to look positively at the new apprentice scheme.
More information on the above can be obtained by contacting John Mulhern directly. Contact details are available here.
Open day
The Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture will host an open day on Thursday, November 14 from 12pm until 3pm. Attendees will have a chance to view all the exciting opportunities in horticulture and meet staff, students and employers in the industry.
For further details on the Open Day at the Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture, visit here.
Click here to find out more about the College of Amenity Horticulture.
Learn more about the apprenticeship programmes offered through Teagasc here.