Trades Foundation Certificate - Horticulture

Horticulture is the culture of vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, turf grass, and ornamental plants. The settings for this culture may extend from the back yard grower to large commercial operations, such as green houses, orchards, vegetable farms, turfgrass operations, forestry seedling nurseries, garden centers, golf courses, municipal parks, landscaping, and landscape maintenance firms.

People working in the horticulture industry should have a strong interest in plants and like the hands on aspect of the work. Depending on the scope of work, many of the positions within the industry involve working outside in a variety of weather conditions.

Graduates find employment in a wide range of positions within the industry. These include landscaping and maintenance, retail and wholesale nurseries, garden centers, municipal parks, supply companies, commercial greenhouses, orchards, golf courses, and self employment. Depending on experience and training, positions could be as entry-level workers, lead hands, foremen, supervisors or owner/operators.

An integral part of the certificate program is the three-week practicum at the end of studies. This practicum allows students to get work experience in an industry position that they may wish to continue employment with, or to get industry experience to apply to their own situation once the practicum is complete.