Garden Apprentice

Garden Apprentice
37 hours per week
National minimum
wage for apprentices – £6.40 per hour, rising to National minimum wage after 1 year

Job introduction

Would you like a chance to take up this excellent opportunity to gain a qualification packed
with knowledge and practical experience, working under experienced gardeners in a world-famous
historic garden?

The Royal Pavilion Garden is the only restored Regency Garden in the UK and is Grade II listed.
The garden was restored following John Nash’s 1820s plans and conforms as closely as possible
to the original list of plants supplied to George IV.

Brighton & Hove Museums were recently successful in bidding for a substantial Heritage
Lottery Fund grant totalling £6.5 million. Great improvements are ahead for Royal Pavilion
Gardens and once finished this will be the only fully restored Regency landscape in the world.
The successful apprenticeship applicant will be present during an exciting time of change and
the experience gained through this period will greatly enhance career potential.

Brighton & Hove Museums has an exciting opportunity for a Level 2 Heritage Horticulture and
Landscape apprentice within a historic gardens setting. In addition to helping shape Pavilion
Garden the role will also include working in Preston Manor Edwardian walled garden and Hove
Museum. Both gardens represent further opportunity to broaden knowledge, experience and career
progression.

The Horticulture and Landscape apprentice Level 2 standard is run by Plumpton College who is
responsible for supporting you with your learning and carrying out assessments. The course has
core modules to complete and a number of units. Your work experience will be linked to the
modules and units in your course. You will receive additional support from a nominated mentor
throughout the duration of the Apprenticeship.

About the role

Apprentices will gain knowledge in the general management of the Royal Pavilion Garden and
carrying out routine horticultural operations, e.g. mowing, strimming, hedge trimming,
planting, and pruning, rotovating, site preparation, turfing, seeding, weeding. Additionally,
you will learn plant identification skills and have the chance to contribute to planting
schemes and many projects across different subject areas. You will learn about the most common
horticultural pests and diseases, and how to treat them as well as operating machinery and
health and safety aspects of the role. Although the role is primarily to maintain and develop
the gardens there are aspects of public engagement as well as the opportunity to carry out
presentations and tours along with more general duties which will further increase
employability. Additionally, taking part in discussions with landscape professionals &
consultants for the garden project further add to a rich and rewarding working environment.

Additional information

Apprentices without evidence of level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level prior
to completing training and you may be required to take an English and Maths assessment prior to
a formal offer being made.

For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the apprenticeships
English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3 and British Sign Language qualification
are an alternative to English qualifications for whom this is their primary language.

Please note, your application will be shared with the training provider.

The duration of the apprenticeship will be up to 24 months depending on experience.

For an informal discussion about this role, please contact:

Rob Boyle, Head Gardener – [email protected]

Nicholas Kay, Volunteer Manager – [email protected]

Application

For details on how to apply for this role, please visit our website.

Work Permits: This role does not meet the requirement for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Points-based Immigration System. Successful candidates will need to evidence that they have the
Right to Work in the UK.

In order to apply for an apprenticeship, you must have been ordinarily resident in the UK for
at least the previous three years on the first day of the apprenticeship (or this includes EEA
for UK or EEA Nationals with pre-settled or Settled Status) or have some other residency
eligibility status.

We actively welcome applications from people who reflect the diversity of the country to help
us shape and change the museum sector to make it more relevant to the diversity of the
people, communities and places we serve.

Closing date: 9am, Thursday 3rd October 2024