Groundsperson Apprentice

You will be trained in all aspects of grounds maintenance to include:

Grass mowing both pedestrian and tractor/ride on machine Strimming Blowing of leaves and debris Clearing piles of leaves Assisting with the marking of pitches Weeding Hedge cutting and tidying of clippings Bin emptying Sweeping and conditioning of artificial surfaces General fence and building maintenance Log splitting and stacking Machinery maintenance Machinery cleaning Road repairs Pruning of plants Setting up of sports hall for events Car parking General tidying of site Building, erection and removal of goals Undertake maintenance and cleaning of swimming pool and surrounding area

Training:

You will attend Sparsholt College on a day release basis during term time.

Training to be provided:

Horticulture and Landscape Operative Level 2 Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work (Ofqual registered) minimum 1-day course City and Guilds NPTC Level 2 Certificate of Competence in the Safe Use of Abrasive Wheel Machines OR Lantra Abrasive Wheel Machines Course Apprentices without Level 2 English and maths achieve Level 1 and take the test for Level 2 before taking the end-point assessment

Apprentices will need to achieve the EPA's to achieve their apprenticeship:

Online knowledge assessment - a 60-minute online test containing 40 multiple choice questions Practical assessment EPA - a range of 4 practical activities taking no more than six hours undertaken in controlled conditions with responses to verbal questioning from the Independent End Point Assessor The apprentice will undertake three tasks core tasks and one task from the optional route - Horticulture or Landscaping Professional Discussion EPA - An hour-long professional discussion under controlled conditions between the EPA and the apprentice to allow the apprentice to demonstrate their knowledge

You will be required to attend Sparsholt College on a day release basis to learn about horticulture, to include:

Health & Safety Use and maintain non-powered and handheld powered equipment Use and maintain pedestrian-controlled equipment
Environment protection Plant identification and nomenclature - Latin and common
Vegetation control Soil science and cultivation Plant establish & maintenance Plant grown Plant health Establish and maintain amenity areas Survey and mark out sites for landscaping features Construct hard landscape features Maintain hard landscape features

Training Outcome:

A permanent position may be offered on sucessful completion of your apprenticeship. 

Employer Description:
Prep School with approx. 370 pupils and 100 acres of grounds.

Working Hours :
37.5 hrs/wk 1 Aug to 31 Mar & 41.5 hrs/wk 1 April to 31 July (averages out as 38.81 hrs/wk), Monday to Friday.

Skills:
Communication skills,Attention to detail,Organisation skills,Customer care skills,Team working,Physical fitness,An interest in horticulture,Aptitude for learning