There are several ways for you to
get started in a career in horticulture.
Or if you’re already in the industry, further education could help you take your next step.
Apprenticeships and Traineeships
Apprenticeships and traineeships are a hands-on way to develop your skills while you earn an income.
Throughout apprenticeship or traineeship, you’ll gain practical, hands-on work experience in your chosen field while you receive formal training in a nationally accredited qualification. The training component is completed with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) such as TAFE, while the workplace component is completed with your employer.
There are some differences between an apprenticeship and a traineeship:
- Apprenticeships can be completed in 3–4 years and are for skilled trade qualifications.
- Traineeships can be completed in 1–2 years and are for a broader range of qualifications.
Both can be completed on either a full-time or part-time basis.
You must have an employer to undertake an apprenticeship or traineeship.
Other Training and Education Options
There are a range of educational institutions across Victoria offering courses at different levels to suit your training needs.
Course pathways include:
- Nursery operations
- Horticulture & urban horticulture
- Conservation and land management
- Sports turf management
- Parks & gardens
- Floristry
- Landscape construction, design & architecture
- Green infrastructure
- Arboriculture
- Agriculture and agribusiness
- Biosecurity
- Environmental science
- Botany
- Rural operations
- Viticulture
Learn on the ground
There are horticulture education institutions right across Victoria.
Bendigo Tafe
Bendigo Tafe
Courses Offered
- Cert III in Landscape Construction
- Cert III in Horticulture
- Cert III in Parks and Gardens
- Cert III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management
Box Hill Institute
Box Hill Institute
Courses Offered
- Bachelor of Biosecurity Science
- Cert III in Landscape Construction
- Cert III in Horticulture
- Diploma of Conservation & Ecosystem Management
Chisholm Institute
Chisholm Institute
Courses Offered
- Cert III in Horticulture
- Cert III in Landscape Construction
Gordon Institute of TAFE
Gordon Institute of TAFE
Courses Offered
- Cert III Horticulture
- Cert III Landscape Construction
- Cert III Nursery Operations
- Cert III Parks and Gardens
- Cert III Sports Turf Management
- Cert IV Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Cert IV Horticulture
Holmesglen Institute
Holmesglen Institute
Courses Offered
- Cert IV in Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Cert II in Horticulture
- Cert III in Horticulture
- Cert III in Landscape Construction
- Cert III in Parks and Gardens
- Cert III in Sports Turf Management
- Cert IV in Horticulture
- Diploma of Landscape Design
- Diploma of Sports Turf Management
Sunraysia Institute of TAFE
Sunraysia Institute of TAFE
Courses Offered
- Cert II in Horticulture
- Cert II in Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Cert III in Horticulture
- Cert III in Parks and Gardens
- Cert III in Nursery Operations
- Cert III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Cert IV in Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Diploma of Horticulture
Melbourne Polytechnic
Melbourne Polytechnic
Courses Offered
- Cert II in Horticulture
- Cert III in Horticulture (also taught at Epping campus)
- Diploma of Horticulture
- Diploma of Arboriculture
- Cert III in Landscape Construction
- Cert IV in Landscape Design
- Cert III in Parks & Gardens
- Cert III in Sports Turf Management
- Diploma of Sports Turf Management
Wodonga Tafe
Wodonga Tafe
Courses Offered
- Cert III in Arboriculture
- Diploma of Arboriculture
- Cert III in Horticulture
- Cert II in Horticulture
- Cert III in Landscape Construction
- Cert III in Parks & Gardens (App)
- Cert III in Sports Turf Management
RMIT
RMIT
Courses Offered
- Diploma Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Bachelor of Landscape Architectural Design
- Master of Landscape Architecture
- Bachelor of Environmental Science
Melbourne University
Melbourne University
Courses Offered
- Master of Ecosystem Management and Conservation
- Master of Environment
- Master of Environmental Science
- Master of Urban Horticulture
- Graduate Certificate in Arboriculture
- Graduate Certificate in Garden Design
- Graduate Certificate in Green Infrastructure
- Graduate Certificate in Urban Horticulture
- Graduate Diploma in Urban Horticulture
- Master of Urban Horticulture
- Master of Landscape Architecture
- Master of Landscape Architecture/Master of Urban Design
- Master of Landscape Architecture/Master of Urban Planning
- Graduate Certificate in Environment
- Graduate Diploma in Environment
Australian College of Agriculture and Horticulture
Australian College of Agriculture and Horticulture
Courses Offered
- Diploma Landscape Design
- Cert II Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Advanced Diploma Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Cert II Nursery Operations
- Cert III Nursery Operations
- Cert IV Nursery Operations
- Diploma of Nursery Management
- Cert II Horticulture
- Cert III in Parks & Gardens
Kangan Institute
Kangan Institute
Courses Offered
- Cert III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Cert III in Horticulture
- Cert III in Landscape Construction
- Cert III in Parks and Gardens
Federation TAFE
Federation TAFE
Courses Offered
- Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Diploma of Horticulture
- Cert III Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Cert III Parks and Gardens
- Cert III Landscape Construction
- Cert III Horticulture
Federation University
Federation University
Courses Offered
- Bachelor of Environment and Conservation Science
TAFE Gippsland
TAFE Gippsland
Courses Offered
- Cert II Horticulture
- Cert III Horticulture
- Cert IV in Horticulture
- Cert III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management
Monash University
Monash University
Courses Offered
- Plant Science major offered in numerous Bachelor programs
Advance Community College
Advance Community College
Courses Offered
- Cert II in Horticulture
- Cert III in Horticulture
- Cert II in Parks and Gardens
- Cert III in Parks and Gardens
- Cert II in Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Cert III in Landscape Construction
- Cert III in Nursery Operations
SW TAFE
SW TAFE
Courses Offered
- Cert II Horticulture
- Cert III Horticulture
- Cert III Landscape Construction (App)
- Cert III Nursery Operations (App)
- Cert III Parks and Gardens (App)
- Diploma Conservation and Ecosystem Management
Australian College of Agriculture and Horticulture
55 Swanston Street Melbourne Victoria 3000
Be supported while you grow
Free TAFE
Free TAFE provides free or low-cost access to selected courses and pre-apprenticeship courses for in demand jobs in Victoria.
The eligibility criteria for the Free TAFE funding have recently changed as of 1 January 2023, to allow more people to access funding.
Skills First
Skills First is a funding program that provides access to government-subsidised training for courses in growth industries. If eligible for Skills First, funding will reduce the cost of your training.
Contact your preferred training provider (RTO) to find out if you’re eligible for Skills First and whether they have Skills First places available.
School-Based Apprenticeships & Traineeships
School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs) are available to secondary school students who are over 15 years old and enrolled in Victorian Certificate of Education or Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning, the VCE Vocational Major and Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC).
“A keen interest in plants led me into the industry. It has sent me all over the world and introduced me to amazing technologies, people and places.”
“At 15, I took a leap to begin a career in horticulture and never looked back. It’s an industry full of variety and opportunity.”
“I’m coming towards the end of my apprenticeship, and have loved every second. Doing what you enjoy makes you look forward to work every day.”
“Now that I’ve completed my traineeship in arboriculture, I spend my days pruning for keen home gardeners. It’s so rewarding knowing which tree species I’m working with and to always be learning something new about them.”
“The turf and horticulture industry has such a fantastic team culture, encouraging growth in individuals and celebrating diversity. I love being able to work with a natural product and feeling good about my job every day.”
“I have a degree in computer engineering but wanted something different. Studying horticulture, I nurtured my passion with help from mentors. Now every day is different.”
“Since starting as an apprentice gardener 21 years ago, my career has taken many exciting twists and turns. Creating new parks and streetscapes for the community has been the most rewarding over the years.”
“The horticulture industry has given me an amazing career that aligns perfectly with my passion for sustainability. I’ve been introduced to a supportive network of like-minded individuals who inspire me to make meaningful contributions and drive the industry forward.”
“Working in marketing for the horticultural and agricultural industry has been a fantastic eye-opening experience. I love the people I get to work with and the passion we have for what we get to do for the community.”
“Horticulture gives me a wonderful sense of purpose and makes me feel like I am a part of something bigger. There is always something new to learn and spending my days working with plants and surrounded by greenery is incredibly rewarding.”
“The horticulture industry provides a great platform to harness technology to solve novel and complex problems, and growers are employing state-of-the-art equipment to make this happen. I love being a part of that.”