Are you an employer seeking staff in the horticulture or related industries?
When you grow plants, food and landscapes, you grow a sustainable future for Australia
With a career in horticulture, you’ll get hands on, get outdoors, and get along with likeminded people.
What can you expect?
Supported by the Victorian Government through Jobs Victoria, Grow Your Future is run in-person across the state. It includes 3 days of paid employability training, 1–2 weeks of work placement, wrapping up with 3 days of horticulture education.
Be paid for your time
Free access to learning materials
Learn from industry experts
Meet potential employers
Get personal advice from recruiters
Employment opportunities
Choose where you want to work
Ongoing support in the workplace
Day 1
Communication skills and problem solving
Day 2
Your rights & employers’ responsibilities
Day 3
Career pathways
Day 4-6
Communication skills and problem solving
Your career starts here
The organisations who hire through the program include turf and greenlife producers, retail nurseries, horticulture-allied trades, botanic gardens, educational institutions, and not-for-profit organisations. Businesses tend to hire at an entry-level, and then train people to specialise and move up.
Production Nurseries
Production nurseries are where many plants begin their life. They grow a variety of plants, from succulents and turf all the way to flowers and advanced trees.
Retail Nurseries
Retail nurseries are where plants are sent to find their ‘forever home’, with these businesses selling plants and gardening supplies directly to customers.
Allied Horticultural Trades
Playing a vital role in the industry, these are businesses that provide products and services to gardeners and to other horticultural businesses.
“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 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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Since taking my Apprenticeship in 2017 the horticultural industry has provided me with so many opportunities to up-skill, explore pathways, and grow.”
Grow Your Future invests in tomorrow’s industry leaders – like you
Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria (NGIV) is the state’s peak horticultural industry body, representing the interests of a $2.5 billion sector that employs 24,000+ people in Victoria.
For the Grow Your Future project, we’ve partnered with Jobs Victoria, SkillInvest, Melbourne Polytechnic and others, to launch careers in this booming industry.