Work with and support landscape professionals in designing, planning and managing spaces in both natural and built environments.
Apprentices learn to support landscape professionals across the full range of design, planning and management work, in both natural and built environments. Practical skills include technical drawing, site assessment, data gathering, and the use of specialist software such as CAD and GIS tools. Apprentices also develop knowledge of environmental and planning legislation, ecological considerations, and project management principles. The work spans office-based design tasks and outdoor site activities, building a foundation in how landscapes are conceived, documented and delivered.
A landscape technician apprentice splits their time between desk-based work and site visits. In the office, they produce technical drawings, update CAD files, prepare reports, and input data into GIS platforms. On site, they assist with surveys, inspections and contractor liaison. They interact regularly with landscape architects, ecologists, planners, engineers and local authority contacts. Week to week, deliverables might include annotated drawings, photographic site records, or supporting documentation for planning submissions, depending on the employer's project mix.
Completion typically leads to roles such as landscape technician, landscape assistant, CAD technician, GIS technician or landscape clerk of works. With experience, progression into junior landscape architect positions or parks management is common, particularly for those who go on to complete a degree apprenticeship or professional chartership. Employers range from landscape architecture and urban design practices to local authorities, national parks, environmental consultancies, government agencies and large construction and infrastructure contractors. The breadth of sectors means qualified technicians can move between design-focused and management-focused careers.
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Completers typically move into roles such as Landscape Technician, Landscape Assistant, Landscape Technologist, or Landscape CAD Technician within a practice or local authority team. Other common entry points include GIS Technician, BIM Technician, Landscape Visualiser, or Parks Officer. Some go into site-facing roles as a Landscape Clerk of Works, supporting the delivery of construction projects on the ground, while others join planning teams in a junior capacity as a Junior Landscape Architect.
With three to five years' experience, technicians often move into project-lead positions within landscape consultancies or local authority landscape services, taking greater ownership of design packages, planning submissions, or site supervision. From there, two tracks tend to open up: a leadership route towards Landscape Project Manager or Principal Technician, and a technical specialist route in areas such as GIS analysis, BIM coordination, or environmental assessment. Further study, including a degree or chartership route with the Landscape Institute, supports progression to Landscape Architect.
Employers span landscape architecture and urban design consultancies, local authority parks and open spaces departments, planning consultancies, environmental and ecological practices, and infrastructure and civil engineering firms. Central government bodies, National Parks authorities, and land management organisations also employ technicians. The role sits across both private and public sector, and is relevant at a range of scales from small specialist practices to large multidisciplinary built environment consultancies.
Learning happens alongside employment, with the apprentice building knowledge, skills and behaviours relevant to landscape work across both office-based and outdoor settings. Before final assessment, the apprentice and employer go through a readiness check, commonly called the gateway, to confirm the apprentice is ready to demonstrate full competence. Final assessment then determines whether the apprentice can perform the role to the required standard, covering technical areas such as design support, site work, use of digital tools, and environmental awareness. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
Building a record of real workplace activity throughout the apprenticeship is essential, rather than trying to pull evidence together at the end. Apprentices should keep notes, drawings, reports, photographs and other outputs from live projects as they complete them. Working closely with both the employer and training provider from the start helps identify gaps in experience before the gateway. Because the role spans office tasks and site work, evidence should reflect both sides of the job to give a full picture of competence.
Look for providers with achievement rates above 65% on FATP, since a 24-month programme across mixed office and outdoor activities requires sustained pastoral support to keep apprentices on track. Strong providers will have clear relationships with landscape architecture, planning or environmental consultancy employers, not just horticultural contractors. For this standard, ask to see the tools and software covered: AutoCAD, GIS platforms, BIM workflows and visualisation software are all relevant to the job titles apprentices progress into. Employer satisfaction scores above 80% and reviews that mention project-based learning and site exposure are particularly useful signals.
Be cautious if a provider can't show alumni working in roles like landscape technician, GIS technician or landscape visualiser, since those job titles require specific technical skills that generic horticulture or construction programmes often don't develop well. A high volume of starts paired with a declining achievement rate suggests cohort management problems. Providers who are vague about which digital tools are taught, or who describe the technical content only in broad terms, may be delivering a programme that drifts toward groundskeeping rather than technician-level design and planning work.
There are no universal entry requirements set in stone, as employers set their own criteria. In practice, most look for GCSEs in English and maths at grade 4 or above, or equivalent qualifications. An interest in the natural or built environment is useful, and some employers prefer candidates with prior experience in horticulture, construction, or a design-related subject. If an apprentice does not already hold the required English and maths standard, they will need to achieve it during the programme.
The typical duration is 24 months, though the actual length depends on the individual's progress and the employer's delivery model. The apprentice remains employed throughout, applying learning directly to real projects. Off-the-job training is built into working hours; the specific minimum requirement is subject to revision under current Skills England reforms, so check the current specification on gov.uk for the precise figure. Training usually combines workplace practice with input from a training provider.
Before formal end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway. At this point, the employer, training provider, and apprentice confirm that the required knowledge, skills, and behaviours have been developed and that any mandatory English and maths conditions are met. The end-point assessment then tests competence, typically through a combination of methods such as a portfolio review, professional discussion, or practical assessment. Assessment models for many standards are being updated, so check gov.uk for the current specification.
The funding band for this standard is £9,000, which is the maximum that can be drawn from the apprenticeship levy or co-investment scheme to cover training and assessment costs. Large employers with a levy account use those funds directly. Smaller employers without a levy account pay 5% of the training cost, with the government covering the remaining 95%. Employers with fewer than 50 employees who take on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing; the government funds the full cost.
Work is split between office and outdoor settings. On a typical day, an apprentice might produce CAD drawings or GIS mapping, assist with site surveys, prepare planning documents, or support a landscape architect with design work. They may also attend site visits to monitor construction progress, liaise with planners or ecologists, and contribute to reports for clients or local authorities. Over time, they take on more responsibility for discrete tasks while remaining under supervision for complex or high-risk work.
Completers are qualified to work in roles such as landscape technician, landscape CAD technician, GIS technician, parks officer, or landscape clerk of works. Many go on to work across planning consultancies, local government, design practices, and environmental organisations. From there, progression routes include higher-level qualifications such as a degree in landscape architecture or urban design, or a higher or degree apprenticeship, which can lead to chartered membership of the Landscape Institute or a related professional body.
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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: 565.
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.