Level 1 Award, Certificate and Diploma in Practical Horticulture Skills Course informationGuernsey College of Further Education

Chairman Julian WinserPrincipal & CEO Louise Misselke RGN, BSc, MSc, Cert Ed.

Tel: (01481) 737500 Email: college@gcfe.net Web: www.guernseycollege.ac.ggAddress: Coutanchez Campus, Route du Coutanchez, St Peter Port GY1 2UB

GuernseyCollege @GuernseyCollege Guernsey College of Further Education

NB: Course information is correct at time of print. Courses offered may be subject to change.

Additional learning supportAs part of your learning programme, if you have not yet achieved a grade C or equivalent in Mathematics and English Language you will be required to study a Functional Skill or GCSE in these subjects.

Students may require additional support for a number of reasons. At the start of your course you will be asked to complete an initial assessment in order for us to identify any additional needs that you may have. During your course your personal tutor will be able to guide you on how best to access support.

We can offer the following:• Progress Coaches• Learner Support Assistance (1:1)• Learner Support Assistance (Group)• Learner Support Assistance (Drop-ins)• Specialist ESOL teaching• Study lab sessions• In-class support• Special arrangements for exams

For more details or how to apply, please contact: Chris Turner Lecturer email: cturner@gcfe.net tel: (01481) 737500

Level 1 Award, Certificate and Diploma in Practical Horticulture Skills

Course outline

This full time programme is ideal for preparing someone for employment within the land based sector industries. Focusing upon the fundamental practical skills in horticulture, the learner will be able to learn skills such as planting out, preparing ground, pruning, using a mower, maintaining turf or constructing a path.

An Award, Certificate or Diploma in Practical Horticulture Skills is for both young people (16+) and adults getting started in the horticulture industry. You don’t need any previous experience or a current work placement.

To achieve the Award, you complete one or two units from a wide range of options - enough to gain six credits. Some examples of units you might choose include:

• Care for a planted area. • Prepare soil and apply an organic

mulch. • Prepare and plant a hanging basket. • Use a leaf-litter blower.• Identify weeds.

To achieve the longer Certificate and Diploma, you complete four core units:

• Plant container grown subjects. • Prepare ground for sowing or

planting.

• Prepare soil and apply an organic mulch.

• Water a bed, border or area of plants in containers.

For the Certificate, you also choose enough optional units to give you eight credits; for the Diploma enough to give you 27 credits.

There are over 100 units covering a range of horticultural sectors including Sports turf, Plant propagation, Machinery, Landscape construction, Commercial plant production, Garden centre work and Plant identification.

The only requirements are that you have a keen interest in the land based sector and value the need for Mathematics and English skills to enhance your employability prospects.

In order to improve your employability prospects a high attendance record for all classes is essential.

Assessment methods

Assessment is practical assignments. Assessment of practical work is undertaken by observation of activity using video with oral questions recorded using audio. The course uses OneFile, an online portfolio and in some circumstances can be delivered as a distance learning course.

Guernsey College of Further Education

Progression opportunities

This Level 1 Diploma is designed to give you a vocationally related qualification which will stand alongside your GCSE or Functional Skills qualifications.

Students can progress into employment or to the following qualifications:Level 1 Work-Based HorticultureLevel 2 Work-Based HorticultureLevel 2 Practical Horticultural Skills

Course duration

The course can be tailored to suit your requirements and Is dependent on the number of units you decide to take. Generally, it is anticipated that if you take the Diploma Level then the course will be one year.

There is no requirement for learners to enrol at the beginning of the academic year as enrolment will occur throughout the programme at strategic times.

Campus

Les Ozouets and Coutanchez.

Entry requirements

There are no formal qualification requirements to attend this course, however learners will need to attend maths and English classes if they do not already hold a qualification in these subjects.

Student achievements and testimonial

“Having been unemployed for five years, the Level 1 programme enabled me to achieve maths and English alongside the horticultural qualification. This helped me to build up my confidence and progress onto the Level 2 Apprenticeship with Level 2 maths and English functional skills, and having completed both of these I am now employed full time with a landscape company and considering the Level 3 course in the future. Full support was offered throughout the course to apply for positions in my area.”

Chris Wheeler