Horticulture and Landscape Operative Apprentice
ST MONICA TRUST
Bristol, BRISTOL, Winscombe
Closes in 12 days (Thursday 7 August 2025)
Posted on 24 July 2025
Contents
Summary
Start your career in our beautiful gardens! Learn hands-on skills, earn while you learn, and grow your future in a stunning outdoor setting. No experience needed - just energy, enthusiasm, and a love for nature.
- Wage
-
£22,609 a year
- Training course
- Horticulture or landscape construction operative (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday - Friday, 07:30 - 16:00 (At Sandford Station and Cote Lane)
Monday - Friday, 07:00 - 15:30 (At Westbury Fields)
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 1 September 2025
- Duration
-
2 years
- Positions available
-
3
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
- Undertake most gardening and grounds duties for the Trust, including the maintenance of lawns, borders, flowerbeds, paths, ponds, and indoor planting. excluding the use of vehicles e.g. ride on mowers
- Provide a high-quality service to our customers, supporting residents, should they wish to engage in gardening activities and responding appropriately to queries from residents, colleagues, or visitors
- Work with the wider Estates team carrying out additional security and maintenance duties in line with the Trust’s policies and procedures and health and safety legislation
- Assist the wider estates team with additional duties such as the set-up for site events and activities and timely collection of recycling and waste
- Undertake training within the team and the wider Trust to further understand the role of the gardens and estates team
- Participate in team training and updates in use of equipment and horticultural knowledge
Where you'll work
You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.
This apprenticeship is available in these locations:
- Westbury Fields Retirement Village, Cricket Lane, Bristol, BS10 6TW
- ST. MONICA TRUST, COTE LANE, BRISTOL, BS9 3UN
- Sandford Station Retirement Village, Station Road, Winscombe, BS25 5AA
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
BRIDGWATER AND TAUNTON COLLEGE
Training course
Horticulture or landscape construction operative (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- (Core) Apply health and safety processes and procedures including risk assessments and or construction design management (CDM), manual handling, legislative requirements and organisational policies. Follow safe systems of work and safety information in line with employer requirements or site context (for example clearing their route before transporting materials).
- (Core) Apply environmental mitigation measures including storage and disposal of waste, for example sorting materials for recycling or composting, acting in compliance with legal requirements, organisational policies and pollution controls.
- (Core) Select, undertake a pre start check, set up, clean, store and safely operate tools, equipment and machinery (including pedestrian controlled and handheld) in line with current legislation and business policies.
- (Core) Communicate with technical (for example supervisors or managers) and non-technical audiences (for example clients or the public) using language appropriate to the audience.
- (Core) Identify plants commonly grown in the UK by scientific names including genus species and or cultivar.
- (Core) Maintain the correct phytosanitary and bio-security procedures for the site, in accordance with legal requirements.
- (Core) Identify and report symptoms and or signs of commonly found UK plant pests, pathogens and disorders.
- (Core) Maintain plant health for example providing for basic needs such as water, nutrition (either organic or inorganic), light.
- (Core) Cultivate, improve and preserve soils by mechanical methods and or by hand including amelioration and mulching (these might be imported or natural).
- (Core) Clear unwanted vegetation, selecting techniques to be used (for example weeding).
- (Core) Remove unwanted or damaged growth from plants using a pruning cut.
- (Core) Plant shrubs and a tree using a simple tree pit.
- (Core) Install turf for situation.
- (Core) Mow turf using pedestrian controlled powered driven mower.
- (Core) Maintain or protect hard surfaces, features or structures for example painting, re-gravelling, removing weeds from paving, drain clearance, cleaning.
- (Core) Use digital tools and techniques for research, collaboration, continuous professional development and resolution of problems.
- (Landscape construction) Measure and set out an uncomplicated site in preparation for landscape construction activities.
- (Landscape construction) Use free hand cutting and or bench cutting of hard landscape materials using abrasive wheels.
- (Landscape construction) Repair constructed landscape features (simple and noncomplex) for example re-grouting, re-sanding, damaged fencing.
- (Landscape construction) Construct paved feature for example path, patio or shed base. Including setting levels, sub bases, laying bases, finishing.
- (Landscape construction) Construct vertical landscape features including fences, ornamental vertical features, and walls.
- (Landscape construction) Install drainage in landscaping.
- (Landscape construction) Construct horizontal landscape features (excluding paving).
- (Horticulture) Propagate plants by cuttings and seed sowing (this might be indoors or outdoors). Including selection of suitable growing media and or soil.
- (Horticulture) Provide aftercare to recently installed turf and maintain established turf or species rich meadows including irrigation, maintenance, monitoring health and protection from use.
- (Horticulture) Identify if plants are suitable to site, purpose and aesthetics.
- (Horticulture) Maintain soft landscapes for example - staking or support, division, seasonal clearance, and re-planting.
- (Horticulture) Monitor and control plant pests, pathogens, and disorders using basic control methods (including application of chemicals or organic equivalents).
- (Horticulture) Plant herbaceous and seasonal planting (for example bedding, herbs or bulbs).
- (Horticulture) Prune plants to achieve healthy growth and form (including natural habit and formal or trained form).
- (Core) Apply health and safety processes and procedures including risk assessments and or construction design management (CDM), manual handling, legislative requirements and organisational policies. Follow safe systems of work and safety information in line with employer requirements or site context (for example clearing their route before transporting materials).
- (Core) Apply environmental mitigation measures including storage and disposal of waste, for example sorting materials for recycling or composting, acting in compliance with legal requirements, organisational policies and pollution controls.
- (Core) Select, undertake a pre start check, set up, clean, store and safely operate tools, equipment and machinery (including pedestrian controlled and handheld) in line with current legislation and business policies.
- (Core) Communicate with technical (for example supervisors or managers) and non-technical audiences (for example clients or the public) using language appropriate to the audience.
- (Core) Identify plants commonly grown in the UK by scientific names including genus species and or cultivar.
- (Core) Maintain the correct phytosanitary and bio-security procedures for the site, in accordance with legal requirements.
- (Core) Identify and report symptoms and or signs of commonly found UK plant pests, pathogens and disorders.
- (Core) Maintain plant health for example providing for basic needs such as water, nutrition (either organic or inorganic), light.
- (Core) Cultivate, improve and preserve soils by mechanical methods and or by hand including amelioration and mulching (these might be imported or natural).
- (Core) Clear unwanted vegetation, selecting techniques to be used (for example weeding).
- (Core) Remove unwanted or damaged growth from plants using a pruning cut.
- (Core) Plant shrubs and a tree using a simple tree pit.
- (Core) Install turf for situation.
- (Core) Mow turf using pedestrian controlled powered driven mower.
- (Core) Maintain or protect hard surfaces, features or structures for example painting, re-gravelling, removing weeds from paving, drain clearance, cleaning.
- (Core) Use digital tools and techniques for research, collaboration, continuous professional development and resolution of problems.
Training schedule
Horticulture or Landscape Construction Operative Level 2 Apprenticeship Standard:
- Training will take place both at your place of work and fortightly day release at Bridgewater and Taunton College, Cannington Campus
- After your induction, you will be working 40-hours per week with protected time to complete apprenticeship work
- Support from your team, line manager and the apprentice Lead and apprenticeship provider
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4)
- Maths (grade 4)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Physical fitness
About this employer
Since the Trust was founded we have been dedicated to enriching the lives of older people. Over 1,200 colleagues work hard together to continue and develop the ideals that Monica Wills had back in the 1920’s. Thanks to the income we receive from our endowment fund we’ve made amazing things happen over the years. Today, we’re still as forward thinking and innovative as we’ve ever been. We now deliver care and well-being in five retirement villages in and around the Bristol area. Our fifth, The Chocolate Quarter, recently opened in Keynsham – on the site of the old Cadbury chocolate factory! Each of these villages is there to offer high quality care and support for older people in various stages of their life. Yes, each village offers a care home or sheltered accommodation. But they also offer something much more valuable: independence. The villages have things like shops, a gym, a hairdresser, restaurants… everything to give our residents a real feeling of freedom and a good quality of life.
Company benefits
Access to free gym and pool (where applicable). Discounts on shopping, holidays, insurance and days out. Blue Light card. Subsidised staff meals.
After this apprenticeship
- While not guaranteed, the apprenticeship may lead to a permanent position with St Monica Trust after completion of your apprenticeship
- A qualification that you can use to support other work and progression opportunities
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
ST MONICA TRUST
Stacey Payne
apprenticeships@stmonicatrust.org.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000333535.
Apply now
Closes in 12 days (Thursday 7 August 2025)
Sign in with your GOV.UK One Login to apply.
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.