PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2500 HOUR LEARNING BUNDLE for HORTICULTURE (PARKS)

What is a 'Learning Bundle'?

Our learning bundles are a great way to put together the modules that suit your specific goals and learning needs. It is also more cost effective than studying each module separately

• .If you sit exams you will receive a Statement of Attainment for each module
• If you choose not to sit exams, you will receive a Letter of Completion for each module

When you complete your bundle you can receive a Summary of Studies.

Study Parks and Recreation Management

This course provides a foundation for a career in provision of leisure services or facilities; whether through a government instrumentality, or private enterprise. Leisure industries cross over a range of other industries, and this course may be used to underpin work in any of the following:

• Municipal Parks and Gardens

• Sporting Clubs, e.g. Golf Courses, Playing Fields, Stadiums

• Leisure Centres, Gymnasiums, Health Clubs

• Theme Parks, Zoos, Camp Grounds

• Playgrounds

• Leisure industry equipment manufacturers or Suppliers

This course is intended as a learning experience at a post secondary level. Graduates are expected to work at a technician, supervisory or management level.

Modules

Note that each module in the PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 2500 HOUR LEARNING BUNDLE for HORTICULTURE (PARKS) is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.

Contents of some of the modules

HOW WILL THIS COURSE BENEFIT ME?

When choosing a course the most important things to consider are:

• Choose a course of study that best suits you and your future aspirations.

• Choose a course of study that will be broad enough for you to enable you to move across industry sectors should you want or need to.

• Choose a course of study that can be tailored to your needs and ambitions.

• Choose a course of study with a school that will encourage and support you and also give you practical along with theoretical skills.

ACS prides itself on all these things – our learning system ensures that students not only gather information but they absorb, retain and recall it (even years later). Problem Based Learning and Experiential Learning beats Competency based Training hands-down in producing quality graduates. Our courses are based on developing problem solving skills.

Will Studying Help me to be a Professional in Horticulture?

Many people study just to get a qualification, they rush their studies and just manage to scrape through their exams. In the workplace these people are found wanting as they just have not taken the time to gather the theoretical and practical ability to be true professionals. Advancing in a career or becoming a professional horticulturist isn’t just about horticultural skills and knowledge though - the industry needs graduates with:

Sound demonstrable knowledge and skills across horticulture industry sectors but also pertinent to the job; A qualification is just one part of that, many people have qualifications but it is how you are able to apply and demonstrate your knowledge that will count most to your potential employer.

Good communication skills: verbal, written and IT skills are the very basis of a professional in any industry and horticulture is no exception. You need to be able to communicate effectively at all levels – with workers, your peers, your employers and importantly your clients.

Problem solving skills: this is so lacking in many graduates from competency based courses as their range of skills is limited to what is on the ‘list’ of competencies for that course, rather than expanded through the development of problem solving skills like ACS courses. In the work place, and as a professional, you will need to problem solve all the time – you need to be able to think on your feet, come up with quick solutions and make sure that those solutions are carried through and actually work.

Efficiency: Being efficient doesn’t necessarily mean doing things quickly – efficiency is more linked to being a good organiser, a good planner, performing tasks in the correct, logical order and applying skills with adeptness and expertise.

Professional attitude: be well presented and a team player, most employers are looking for people who can work with others effectively and work as a team. They prefer people with a demonstrable passion for the industry and those that network in within industry; volunteering to get experience, memberships to clubs, societies, associations; reading literature all help you gain a good profile and make you stand out from others applying for the same positions.

What Can You do to Improve Your Career Prospects?

• When you study do it for the right reasons; open yourself up to learning, rushing through a course won’t give you a sound basis of knowledge and skills you need to succeed. When you study know that this is the first step – these days you need to continue learning throughout your entire career to advance.

• Technology also changes rapidly so being open to learning also keeps you abreast of new industry developments.

• Read, attend conferences, check the news in your industry, read industry papers, network and so on. Learn from a variety of sources: reading and learning from a variety of perspectives expands your knowledge, building a mix of skills that will make you stand out from the crowd.

• Make sure your C.V. is well written and presented and set out to current preferences –get help if you need it (tutors at this school will help our students with their C.V.'s if you ask - no cost. Resume writing services can also be used, but they charge).

• Recognise your weaknesses, and work on improving them - not just academically.