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Landscape Gardener |
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Select Alternate Year - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009
There have been no changes to this trade in the year of 2009.
Landscape gardeners, in consultation with clients, work with other trades to carry out landscaping operations and design in a variety of environments. This includes residential, commercial and public grounds, playgrounds, golf courses, garden centres, tree nurseries, greenhouses and interior landscapes.
Landscape gardeners work with machinery and equipment ranging from simple hand tools such as pruning shears and sprayers to heavy duty trucks, tractors, loaders and graders. They may be responsible for the routine maintenance of equipment. Since landscape gardeners also work with pesticides and fertilizers, they must be aware of government regulations restricting their use and the toxic or hazardous effects the chemicals may have.
They may supervise or be involved in any combination of the following activities:
Employment in this trade is often seasonal with long hours in the summer months. Most of the work is performed outdoors, although some indoor work may be involved in the greenhouse production and sale of nursery stock, landscape materials, supplies and interior plantscape maintenance.
The work can be strenuous and may involve considerable lifting, carrying and bending. Other activities may include design, consulting and day-to-day business operations.
Landscape gardening offers the chance to excel in a career with a variety of tasks while receiving recognition from this area of expertise. The work is most rewarding for those who like working with plants, and expressing their creativity.
To be successful in the trade, Landscape Gardeners need:
Landscape Gardeners may be employed by landscape architects, contractors, nurseries, tree farms, greenhouses, cemeteries, governments, garden centres and landscape supply outlets. Beginning Landscape Gardeners often enter the occupation during the busy summer months as labourers or apprentices.
Journeyperson wage rates vary, but generally range from $16 to $27 an hour plus benefits.
Experienced Landscape Gardeners may advance to supervisor, manager or head landscape gardener positions, or own and operate a business.
To work in the trade of Landscape Gardener in Alberta, a person must:
Landscape Gardeners learn their skills by registering with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training to participate in apprenticeship training and, upon successful completion, are awarded the Alberta Journeyman Certificate.
A Landscape Gardener who holds a certificate that was issued by another recognized apprenticeship authority in Canada (province, territory or federal jurisdiction) may apply for an Alberta Equivalency document under the Equivalency Program.
Landscape Gardeners who:
may be eligible to apply for trade certification under the Qualification Certificate Program.
Individuals possessing a valid Alberta Journeyman Certificate, an Alberta Occupational Certificate, or a credential that is recognized as equivalent to an Alberta trade or occupational certificate are eligible to receive a Blue Seal business credential after completing the necessary requirements.
The term of apprenticeship for a Landscape Gardener is 4 years (four 12-month periods) including a minimum of 1200 hours of on-the-job training and 8 weeks of technical training each year.
To learn the skills required of a Landscape Gardener in Alberta and be issued an Alberta Journeyman Certificate, a person must:
Most employers prefer to hire high school graduates and may select apprentices from among their current employees.
- during on-the-job training, apprentice Landscape Gardeners earn at least 60 percent of the journeyperson wage rate in their place of employment in the first year, 70 percent in the second, 80 percent in the third, and 90 percent in the fourth year.
- select an educational institution that offers training for Landscape Gardener apprentices, and a time to attend training (see Technical Training Locations and Schedule)
- determine requirements for enrolling at the selected institution, and forward completed enrollment form to the selected institution (see Enrollment Instructions)
When apprentices attend technical training, they are required to pay the applicable tuition fee and purchase course supplies.
Grants, scholarships and other financial assistance may be available. For more information see Financial Assistance or contact an Apprenticeship and Industry Training Office.
To qualify for a Red Seal, a person must:
- an Alberta trade certificate or completion of apprenticeship certificate, OR
- a journeyperson or completion of apprenticeship certificate issued by another Canadian province or territory
To qualify for an Equivalency document based on a recognized credential, a person must:
A person who has a recognized certificate, as described above, does not require an Alberta Equivalency document to work in the trade in Alberta. However, some employers may require an Alberta Equivalency document as proof that the certificate is equivalent to the requirements of the trade in Alberta.
To qualify for a Qualification Certificate based on Canadian credentials, a person must:
To qualify for an Alberta Qualification Certificate based on work experience, a person must:
Time spent on supervisory or foreman duties, counter work, heading the tool crib, or on a training course is NOT counted as ‘hands-on’ work experience.
This application fee covers the verification and assessment of the applicant's work experience hours/months as well as one attempt at the Qualification Certificate theory examination. The Qualification Certificate practical examination requires a separate fee as identified on the application noted above.
