Production Horticulture Training Pathways
The horticulture industry offers great opportunities and any number of career pathways. You might start with an entry-level qualification such as a school-based traineeship or apprenticeship, or you may want to complete a qualification prior to entering the workforce... it's up to you.
Qualifications, skill sets and individual units of competency can be obtained by undertaking a course of training or recognition of prior learning process provided through a registered training organisation. Explore the training pathways you can follow.
Each level of skill will often count as credit towarrds the next, and in this way, with experience and further training, you can continue to progress as far as you want in horticulture.
Jobs in Production Horticulture can be grouped into Horticulture Operations, Horticulture Services, and Horticultureal Business areas. Watch the videos to find out more about the different jobs on offer in production horticulture.
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Horticulture Operations Jobs
Horticulture operations is primarily, growing things: growing the primary produce essential to our everyday lives, including crops, fruit and vegetables, oils and nuts.
You might start as a farm hand working in the field and end up running your own business; or you might want to work in overseeing packhouse operations or work as an agronomist (the science of field crop production and soil managment).
There are so may options and career posibilities - perhaps horticulture operations is for you.
Watch the interviews with people working in Horticulture Operations
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Horticulture Services
Horticulture services provide the support and infrastructure that enables the horticulture industry to operate at maximum efficiency and continually improve its operations and produce.
Horticulture services operations are highly varied, including work in irrigation, research and development, and transport and logistics.
You could also work in packaging and distribution, adding value to the process, or at the 'end of the food chain' in retailing. Diversity and career possibilities - horticulture services might be for you!
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Horticulture Business
Horticulture business occupations are those that support horticulture production businesses, and there are plenty of jobs on offer.
Horticulture needs people working in roles such as administrators, office managers as well as farm managers, sales and marketing staff, and environmental and occupational health and safety officers to name but a few.
The business side of horticulture offers variety and fantastic career possibilities.
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Training Pathways
For an idea of the types of jobs you can work towards click here. Training can be based around different areas of operation, so scroll down to see what's involved in each area.
Field Production
Areas of Expertise:
•Team Supervision
•Occupational Health & Safety
•Chemical & Fertiliser (Transport, Application, Storage)
•Pest, Disease & Weed Control
•Harvesting / Picking (Hand & Mechanical)
•Machinery Maintenance & Repairs
•Quality Assurance
•Machinery Operations
•Field Preparation
•Planting
•Irrigation
•Field Restoration
•Pruning / Thinning
Post Harvest
Areas of Expertise:
•Team supervision
•Quality assurance
•Post harvest care
•Produce treating
•Sorting & grading
•Product treatment
•Packing
•Cold storage
•Packaging & dispatch
•Pruning / Thinning
Business Administration
Areas of Expertise:
•Secretarial / Administration
•Accounting
•Human Resources
•Team Supervision
•Marketing
•Purchasing
•Supply Chain
•Wholesaling
•Direct selling
•Retailing
•Exporting
•Transport / Logistics
Business Management
Areas of Expertise:
•Quality control & certification
•Environmental management
•Production planning
•Workforce management
•Financial management
•Business planning
•Supply chain logistics
•Value adding
•Marketing
•Diversification
Advisory Services
Areas of Expertise:
•Plant nutrition
•Irrigation
•Water testing
•Water quality
•Integrated Pest Management
•Soil testing
•Sap testing
•Land management
•Plant propagation
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These interviews were produced for the DVD Your Future is Here - Careers in Production Horticulture, a project funded under the Australian Government's Industry Training Strategies Program, administered by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.