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L2Apprenticeship1816 approved providers
The Level 2 Horticulture or landscape construction operative, and the 6 providers delivering it.
Building and managing parks, greenspaces and other areas.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices learn to carry out the practical operations needed to create and maintain outdoor spaces, covering both horticultural and landscape construction work. On the horticultural side, this includes planting, pruning, turf establishment and maintenance, pest and disease control, and plant propagation. Landscape construction skills cover setting out sites, laying paved surfaces, building fences and walls, and repairing existing features. Apprentices also learn to select appropriate materials, work safely with machinery and abrasive wheels, and meet quality standards with minimal supervision.
Day-to-day responsibilities
A typical week involves preparing ground and planting beds, pruning shrubs and hedges, maintaining turf areas, and carrying out seasonal clearance tasks. On construction-focused placements, the work shifts to measuring and setting out sites, laying path and patio bases, cutting hard materials, and constructing or repairing fences and walls. Apprentices check and maintain their own tools and PPE daily, follow site health and safety requirements, and report progress to a supervisor, team leader, or head gardener. Work takes place outdoors year-round, including in poor weather conditions.
Career outlook
Completing this apprenticeship supports progression into roles such as grounds maintenance operative, gardener, landscape gardener, or junior landscaper. With further experience, routes open up to senior operative, team leader, or head gardener positions. Employers across the sector include local authorities, landscape contractors, private estates, historic gardens, garden centres, schools, and facilities management companies. Those who specialise early, whether in ornamental horticulture, sports turf, or hard landscaping, can pursue Level 3 apprenticeships or NVQs to move into supervisory or specialist technical roles.
6 approved providers
Sorted by achievement rate.
Activate Learning
Employer: 4.0
Activate Learning is a UK education group that delivers apprenticeships and vocational training thro...
City College Plymouth
City College Plymouth is a further education college offering a wide range of apprenticeship and voc...
Abingdon and Witney College
Employer: 4.0
Abingdon & Witney College is a further and higher education college in Oxfordshire offering a wide r...
Askham Bryan College
Employer: 3.0
Askham Bryan College is a specialist land-based college offering apprenticeship training and wider s...
Bishop Burton College
Employer: 4.0
Bishop Burton College is a specialist land-based and technical education provider offering a wide ra...
City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation delivers apprenticeships and adult learning through its Adult Skills ...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completing this apprenticeship typically leads to roles such as Grounds Maintenance Operative, Horticultural Technician, Landscape Construction Operative, or Garden Maintenance Operative. Those who specialise in hard landscaping often move into roles focused on paving, fencing and structure installation, while horticulture-focused completers tend to move into plant maintenance and grounds care positions. Both tracks involve working largely unsupervised, completing tasks to specification across a range of outdoor sites.
Progression paths
With a few years' experience, operatives commonly progress to Grounds Maintenance Supervisor, Head Gardener, or Landscape Construction Team Leader. The deep-specialist track leads toward roles such as Senior Horticulturist, Arborist, or Turf Management Specialist, often supported by further qualifications at Level 3. The leadership track opens up Senior Grounds Manager or Contracts Supervisor positions, particularly in larger organisations. Some experienced practitioners move into self-employment, running their own grounds maintenance or landscape construction businesses.
Where these roles sit
Employers span local authorities, estate management companies, landscape contractors, garden centres, National Trust and similar heritage and charity organisations, schools, hospitals, and private estates. The private contractor market is large, covering domestic garden maintenance through to major commercial landscaping projects. Public sector roles are common, particularly in parks and grounds maintenance for councils and NHS trusts. Opportunities exist across the UK with both small independent businesses and large national contractors.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Throughout the apprenticeship, the learner works in a real horticulture or landscape construction role while building knowledge, practical skills and workplace behaviours. Before moving to final assessment, both the employer and training provider confirm that the apprentice has reached the required standard, a stage commonly called the gateway. Final assessment then confirms whether the apprentice can apply their knowledge and skills to the level expected of a competent operative in the role. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated as part of wider reforms, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
What learners need to prepare
Practical preparation starts from day one. Apprentices should record evidence of real work as they complete it, whether that is planting and pruning tasks, constructing paved features, or repairing landscape structures, rather than trying to pull evidence together at the end. Employers and training providers play a direct part in judging readiness, so regular reviews and honest conversations about progress matter throughout. Keeping clear, dated records of tasks completed and any additional qualifications gained, such as machinery licences, will make the gateway stage more straightforward.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Look for providers with an achievement rate above 65% on their FATP profile; above 75% is a strong signal for a practical, outdoor trade where weather disruption and seasonal workloads can affect completion. High employer satisfaction scores matter here because on-site mentoring is central to how apprentices develop. Check that the provider covers your region year-round, not just summer months, and that their training facilities include actual outdoor spaces, machinery, and PPE. For the horticulture pathway, ask whether tuition covers plant identification and pruning in real growing conditions. For landscape construction, confirm access to hard landscaping equipment and abrasive wheel certification.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious of providers with large cohort numbers but falling achievement rates, which can indicate overstretched assessors and thin on-site support. Vague descriptions of "practical training" without specifying facilities, machinery access, or outdoor learning environments are a concern. For the landscape construction pathway, if a provider cannot confirm that apprentices gain certified machinery training, including abrasive wheels, walk away. Generic horticulture course content repurposed for this apprenticeship, with no clear split between the horticulture and landscape construction specialisms, suggests the programme has not been designed around the standard.
Questions to ask before you commit
- What outdoor training facilities and equipment do you have, and can we visit them before signing?
- How do you deliver the machinery and abrasive wheel training required under the landscape construction pathway, and is certification included?
- For the horticulture specialism, where do apprentices carry out pruning, propagation and turf maintenance practice?
- What is your achievement rate for this standard specifically, and how has it changed over the last two years?
- How do your assessors stay current with plant health regulations and landscape construction practices?
- How many employers are currently using you for this standard, and what sizes and types of organisation do they represent?
- If an apprentice falls behind due to seasonal gaps in work, how do you manage that without affecting their progress?
Common questions
What entry requirements does a candidate need to start this apprenticeship?
There are no nationally mandated academic entry requirements for this apprenticeship. Employers typically look for candidates who are physically fit to work outdoors year-round and have a genuine interest in horticulture or landscape construction. Apprentices must be employed for the duration of the programme. If the candidate does not already hold maths and English at the required level, they will need to work towards Functional Skills as part of their apprenticeship.
How much time does the apprenticeship take, and how does learning fit around the job?
The typical duration is around 24 months, though this can vary depending on the individual and employer. Learning happens alongside paid employment, so the apprentice works in the role from day one. Some learning time takes place off the job, such as at a training provider. The exact off-the-job requirement is subject to current government reforms, so check the latest specification on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) page for this standard before planning a programme.
How is the apprenticeship assessed and what is the gateway?
Before sitting end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway. At this point, the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has developed the required knowledge, skills and behaviours and is ready to be assessed. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated as part of Skills England reforms, so the specific assessment methods may change. Check the current assessment plan on the gov.uk page for this standard to confirm the latest approach before enrolling.
How does an employer pay for the training?
The funding band for this standard is £6,000, which is the maximum government contribution toward training costs. Larger employers who pay the apprenticeship levy use their levy account to fund training. Smaller employers co-invest with the government, typically paying 5% of the training cost, with the government covering the rest. Employers with fewer than 50 staff who take on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing toward the training cost, as the government funds it fully.
What does an apprentice in this role actually do day to day?
Day-to-day work depends on the specialism. A horticulture-focused apprentice might prune shrubs, maintain turf, propagate plants, control pests, and carry out seasonal planting. A landscape construction-focused apprentice might set out sites, lay paved surfaces, construct fencing or walls, and repair existing features. Both specialisms involve working outdoors in all weathers, checking and maintaining tools and PPE, following health and safety requirements, and reporting to a supervisor, team leader or head gardener.
Where can an apprentice progress after completing this qualification?
Completing this apprenticeship at Level 2 provides a foundation for progression into more senior or specialist roles. A natural next step is the Level 3 Horticulture or Landscape Construction Supervisor apprenticeship, which covers managing teams and more complex operations. Apprentices may also pursue specialist qualifications in areas such as arboriculture, sports turf, or landscape design, depending on employer need and career interest. Many progress into supervisory or site management positions within grounds maintenance, estate management, or landscape contracting businesses.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 181.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.