The course is a basis for entry into the horticulture industry, most likely in a production nursery or retail environment such as Bunnings.
Attendance was 1 full day per week (7 - 8 hours) with a theory / practical mix on roughly a 60 / 40 basis.
Being a basic course, it tended to be very broad in the knowledge and subjects taught.
The last subject taught was 'Communication' which is almost irrelevant to older people who have been working for some years. It appears that this subject is taught in all courses and has been for 40+ years to my knowledge.
It should be the first subject of the course as the concept is to address 'active listening' for students who are unused to the style of teaching in tertiary courses.
Our teacher was excellent. He had a broad knowledge set gained in working for multiple employers over about 30 years. He also had been self employed in the industry working on very large gardens in eastern suburbs of Sydney. Prior to migrating to Australia from Italy 20 years ago, he worked in the horticulture industry.
My only complaint with the course is that it does not provide RPL for the Certificate III course which is run over 2 years.
For any person who has no 'gardening' experience, Certificate II is a 'must do' as a means of obtaining an insight into the industry or for personal satisfaction
Certificate III covers all the subjects from Certificate II but in more detail. It is designed for people who are fully intent on being involved in horticulture at a professional level with progression over time to management roles.
Certificate III is probably too big a step for anyone with no relevant experience, especially a very young apprentice. (There is no actual apprenticeship in Horticulture - landscaping, green keeping etc are separate courses)
My reasoning for this is that there are a significant number of plants to be identified by botanic name and common names. There is also a large component addressing plant botany. Basically Cert III is probably 75% / 25% theory to practical.
Certificate III is not a course for students who might be working in landscaping, green keeping or for a local gardening business performing mowing and yard maintenance.
Published Jul 2018
Certificate II in HorticultureTAFE NSW
Graduation date2018
Study modeOn-campus
Student review
Very informative really enjoyed it. Nice campus. Good teachers and good length
Published May 2018
Certificate II in HorticultureTAFE NSW
Graduation date1996
Study modeOn-campus
Student review
Provided a comprehensive introduction to horticulture and was the perfect gateway course to enter a tough industry. Equal parts of theory combined with practical work lead to a thorough understanding of the material. I am still in the industry 23 years later.
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