Grow In The Parks

The Royal Parks Horticulture
contractors are:
Veolia PLC
Turfsoil Ltd.
Enterprise PLC
fountains PLC

Looking for a great career? Love working outdoors? Fancy getting paid to learn? Want to make your friends go green with envy?

READY TO GROW A CAREER IN HORTICULTURE?

GROW, The Royal Parks’ Apprenticeship Programme, is the way to go. You’ll work and learn in one of London’s finest parks and get paid while you complete your education. When you finish the 3-year course, you’ll be fully qualified as a skilled gardener grade with NVQ Levels II & III in Amenity Horticulture. And you’ll get your experience from working in one of the UK’s most famous parks – Hyde Park, St James’s Park, Bushy Park, Richmond Park, Regent’s Park, Green Park, Greenwich Park or Kensington Gardens. These parks are widely recognised as among the best of their kind in the world.

WHAT IF IT’S RAINING?

Good news, the majority of your time will be spent outdoors. And bad news, yes, some days it may rain. One day a week will focus on education at Capel Manor College in Regent’s Park. On the other four days you’ll be at your home park or learning new skills in one of the other parks.

LET’S TALK MONEY

As an apprentice, you’ll be paid to learn. Wages will be at an apprentice level. The Royal Parks and its contractors will cover the cost of your education. And you may be offered a job when you have completed the programme.

BUT WHERE WILL THIS TAKE ME?

All sorts of career paths open up for you at the end of your apprenticeship. You will be qualified to take on a supervisory role, for instance. Or have a headstart as a Landscape Designer. Maybe even work your way up to Park Manager. The possibilities are endless and the choice is yours.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

If you like all things green, you may have found the perfect opening. We’re looking for people with a strong interest in gardening and landscaping. It helps if you have some experience already but it’s not essential. It also helps if you have four good GCSE’s – preferably including Maths, English or Science. But if you really, really want to get on board, then it’s up to you to convince us to give you the chance.

Click here for an application form.

For further information about the apprenticeship programme click here.

There are still some places available for the 2008 intake! If you would like to be considered, please complete the application form and return by 29th August 2008. If you would like further information please email grow@royalparks.gsi.gov.uk or call 0207 298 2119.