Level 2 Technical Certificate in Horticulture

About the course

This City & Guilds Level 2 Technical Certificate in Horticulture is for you if you are looking to start a career within the horticultural sector or want to progress to other related qualifications in the land based sector. This qualification is suitable if you are 16 years old or over. You may or may not have any previous knowledge or experience in horticulture. You will gain an understanding of the skills and knowledge that are important when you are working in a horticultural setting, or progressing to further learning and training in this area.

Horticulture has a massive part to play in the future for our planet and the living things on it. From the food we eat, the sports we play, caring for the conservation of our environment, and the creation of beautiful spaces for our own human and health & wellbeing.

Why Choose Myerscough?

Myerscough college is set in a beautiful rural area, we have fantastic grounds and award winning gardens on which you can learn and work and gain invaluable horticultural skills. We have a commercial garden centre on site with a range of nursery and growing facilities for propagation and potting.

Year 1

Year 1

Health and safety for the land-based industries

The purpose of this unit is for learners to understand the principles and importance of health and safety within land-based settings. This unit covers health and safety legalisation which provides the requirements upon which policies and procedures within the industry are based. Working in land-based roles is exciting and varied but operating in these environments can be dangerous and present potential risks and hazards. As part of this unit learners will look at the legislation that is in place to maintain safety, the requirements for risk assessment and how these impact on working practices

Working in the horticulture industry

The horticulture industry is diverse and provides a wide range of career opportunities. It is important for those working in the industry to understand how it is organised and the professional standards required for those working in it. The aim of this unit is to provide the learner with knowledge of the industry structure and the types of organisations that operate within it. Learners will understand their roles and responsibilities in supporting a business to achieve its commercial objectives. As part of the unit requirements, learners must achieve 150 hours of work experience within the industry.

Plant naming, identification, selection and science

The purpose of this unit is to provide learners with the basic knowledge and skills to name and identify plants incorporating aspects of plant science.

Establishment and maintenance of plants outdoors

The purpose of this unit is to provide learners with the knowledge and skills to prepare growing mediums, such as soil, for potting and planting and to maintain them. This unit also covers turf in green spaces, including wild flowers.

Care, maintenance and use of tools and machinery

The purpose of this unit is for learners to have the skills and knowledge to use and maintain tools, equipment and machinery used in horticultural tasks. This unit does not cover the use of chainsaws.

Horticulture business skills

The purpose of this unit is for learners to understand the business practices used in horticultural businesses. It covers preparing quotes and invoices, communication methods and retail skills.

Commercial gardening and landscaping (Optional)

(Choose one optional unit) The purpose of this unit is for learners who are interested in commercial gardening and landscaping to have the required skills and knowledge for tasks within this area of horticulture. Learning outcomes 1. Carry out seasonal maintenance tasks for gardens 2. Carry out hard landscaping tasks 3. Carry out propagation techniques 4. Design a small garden area

Sports turf technology (Optional)

(Choose one optional unit) The purpose of this unit is for learners who are interested in sports turf green keeping and grounds maintenance to have the required skills and knowledge for tasks within this area of horticulture. This unit covers all sports surfaces, including artificial and blended surfaces. Learning outcomes 1. Maintain sports turf surfaces 2. Tractor driving with an attachment and trailer on a range of sports surfaces

Production techniques in horticulture (Optional)

(Choose one optional unit) The purpose of this unit is for learners who are interested in production of plants and crops to have the required skills and knowledge for tasks within this area of horticulture. Learning outcomes 1. Carry out crop production techniques 2. Carry out protected crop protection 3. Carry out propagation techniques indoors and outdoors 4. Understand pests, weeds, diseases and disorders 5. Know current technologies in production horticulture

Entry requirements & additional information

Entry requirements

Entry Quals : 3 GSCE’s at Grade 3 (D), including English Language, Maths, & science or related subject

Learning and assessment

Assessment of technical qualifications is a mixture of internal practical assessment of skills conducted by the teaching team, internal written assignments marked by the teaching team, an externally set synoptic examination that combines the knowledge and practical skills of all the mandatory units, an external exam that combines the knowledge of all mandatory units and a Health and Safety exam. The assessments and exams are spread throughout the course of the year.

Progression

Upon successful completion of the Level 2 Technical Certificate in Horticulture, learners may be able to progress onto the Level 3 Advanced Technical Certificate.

Careers

Achievement of this qualification demonstrates to an employer that you have the necessary technical skills and knowledge they are looking for when recruiting for a trainee:

Horticulture operative
Landscape operative
Golf greenkeeper

Special requirements

Costs that are mandatory for the course:

Steel toe-capped boots with good grip and ankle support – approx. £12-35

Costs that are optional for the course:

Gardening gloves
Secateurs

Work experience

This course includes a work experience element which enables the learner to gain valuable practical experience, whilst enhancing their knowledge of the industry. The learners will be expected to source and apply for a suitable position for themselves as part of this course.

Horticulture

Horticulture is a rapidly growing area of the economy thanks to a strong public interest in gardening, plants, sustainability and food security. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, the horticulture industry is the largest employer in the UK, supplying 18 million gardeners.

The number of garden centres continues to increase and the public demand for attractive horticultural landscapes remains strong. This means that plant growers, suppliers and managers are constantly looking for ways to improve their businesses.

Landscaping involves the design, construction and maintenance of urban and rural environments – to develop ‘greener living’ in these areas. It’s a real government focus and includes everything from gardens, parks, streets, waterways, leisure facilities and open spaces through to large urban redevelopments. There are fantastic career opportunities as the landscape industry is made up of nearly 8,000 businesses employing around 140,000 people, including local authority departments, heritage garden attractions and commercial landscape companies.

Our Gold Medal winning garden at Southport Flower Show

Show Garden Success

Work experience doesn’t get much better than here at Myerscough. Our learners have helped build award-winning gardens across the country - from a Gold-Medal entry at Chelsea Flower Show to Gold and Silver Medals at Southport Flower Show! They’ve also been involved with garden builds for the BBC DIY SOS project in Blackpool and show gardens at the RHS Tatton Flower Show and Chorley Flower Show.

PlantWorld

Myerscough’s award-winning gardens are laid out across much of the western edge of the Myerscough campus. As part of our garden kingdom, horticulture students are spoilt for choice in our Plant World display glasshouses! There are bananas growing in the Tropical Zone, coffee plants and pineapples in the Edible Zone, a Mediterranean atmosphere in the Temperate Zone as well as beautiful specimen plants in the Flowering and Foliage Zones.

Myerscough College - Horticulture Glasshouses

Superb Facilities

Our horticulture students have access to some of the best facilities available. There are brand new commercial glasshouses, an extensive plant collection, fully-equipped landscape and construction workshops, a new Sportsturf education facility, a CAD suite and drawing studio and dedicated garden plots for project work.

Scholarship Programme

Every year there’s the chance for students to apply for funding to undertake overseas trips as part of their studies thanks to travel scholarships. The annual fund, from the Lancaster and Morecambe Agriculture & Horticulture Society Scholarship programme, pays significant bursaries to encourage young horticulturalists to study or explore business ideas abroad. This year, Bronwyn Jones, 19, went to Singapore to be involved as a volunteer on the ‘Gardens by the Bay’ project looking at increasing public accessibility to gardens and using innovation and technology in creating a city in the garden.

Latest news, Horticulture

Myerscough College Fellow - Christine Walkden

Christine Walkden: Honorary Fellow

"My passion for gardening was nurtured at Myerscough College and I've been getting my hands dirty ever since." Celebrity plantswoman and horticulturalist Christine was awarded an honorary fellowship and regularly works with the College and our Horticultural department.