Learn to be both a Horticulture and Turf Professional
- One certificate covers both general horticulture and turf care.
- Work as a Gardener, Greenkeeper and turf expert.
- Lay the foundation to became a highly skilled professional horticulturist.
- Students are accepted into student membership with several industry bodies, including Australian Institute of Horticulture, Chartered Institute of Horticulture (UK) and Australian Society for Precision Agriculture.
The objective of the course is to:
- Learn to identify, describe and control a range of common plant health issues in garden plants and turf species.
- Understand and operate machinery and equipment used in turf culture.
- Understand basic landscape design and construction skills
- Learn skills and knowledge specific to turf care.
- Understand the growth of turf species and the principles and practices used in establishment and maintenance of turf species in a range of situations.
Developed for to train gardeners and horticulturists, particularly those working for parks authorities, golf courses, bowling greens and sporting fields.
Involving six modules as follows: Horticulture I, Turf Care,
Machinery and Equipment, Sports Turf Management, Turf Repair and
Renovation and Irrigation (Gardens).
This course is similar to other VHT002 horticulture certificates in
its introductory (core) units, but devotes 50% of the course to topics
specifically related to turf culture, species and management.
Modules
Note that each module in the CERTIFICATE IN HORTICULTURE (TURF) VHT002 is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.
What is Needed to succeed in the Turf Industry?
Getting on a solid career path starts with a positive mindset - "passion".
The first step after that is to build your knowledge, and experience. Knowledge can come from formal study and practical experience.
Often the experience can begin with volunteering. Many amateur sporting clubs for instance welcome volunteers to help maintaining a bowling green or turf wicket (for instance), anda lot can be learned working alongside other volunteers or an employee who has helped with that work in the past.
Building connections with others in the horticulture or turf industry can be just as important as the practical experience, and the contacts you make can become an important step toward finding and securing opportunities to move forward in your career. You can do this by joining & getting involved with industry bodies; attending conferences and trade shows and over time building connections with leaders in the industry.
To manage turf properly, the skilled professional needs a very solid foundation in not just practical horticulture practices, but also science. They must understand plant physiology and anatomy, biochemistry, plant taxonomy, pathology, entomology, meteorology, genetics, mechanics, and many other things if they are to be able to understand issues that confront them.
They must be able to communicate properly with experts who might help them, and most of all must have strong skills in time, resources and risk management.
If we are going to get better turf professionals, we need longer, more comprehensive and more in depth courses.
WHAT NEXT?
- This course provides an excellent foundation for a career.
- Recognise that any worthwhile career takes many years to develop. Over the years, you learn more, your competence and confidence builds, you get better, and your opportunities get better accordingly. Excellence takes time to achieve -but with a good foundation, it can be achieved faster.
- Alternatively -talk to us. Use our free careers counselling service
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