Course Description
This qualification is designed to give you the specialist skills and knowledge to take personal responsibility and exercise autonomy in undertaking customer service and plant care in a commercial nursery or hardware store that has a horticulture component. On successful completion of this course, you’ll have the skills you need to work at a customer service representative or nursery worker within this niche industry.
The program is designed to be undertaken as a work-based traineeship for persons that are full-time and part-time employed. Participants will combine self-paced study and individual assessment task completion with on-the-job mentoring from their workplace supervisor and ARO College trainers and Study Coach’s. Participants are provided with printed and electronic copies of learning and assessment tasks – Trainers/Assessors conduct 1:1 on-site training and assessment sessions every 4-6 weeks in the workplace, at a time that is most convenient for the participant and employer.
There are no classrooms to attend however some units, such as the chemical spraying skill set, are offered in a classroom/simulated environment at ARO’s Hahndorf training facility.
This Course is identified as a priority occupation and is included on the Australian Apprenticeship Priority List.
The Course is designed primarily for Participants that are eligible for an Apprenticeship Training Contract and currently employed in horticulture, retail or wholesale nursery or hardware store, specifically:
- Persons pursuing a career as a designer in a plant nursery based enterprise or organisation, and/or
- Persons working in the AHC industry who are seeking a formal qualification, and/or
- Graduates of AHC-related qualifications at the Certificate II level who are upskilling or articulating from previous studies.
The onus is on the Applicant to arrange their own access to an actual retail nursery workplace or enterprise to undertake learning and assessment tasks and activities, if they wish to enrol in the Course where they are not currently employed in a retail nursery-type enterprise.
Fee-For-Service
Where Participants are not eligible for an Apprenticeship Training Contract or a Skills SA Training Account they may seek enrolment into the Course under a fee-for-service basis if they are employed in a suitable horticulture workplace or enterprise and only if they and their employer enter into a Workplace Training Agreement (WTA) with ARO College.
Skills SA Funding
Eligible South Australian participants may have this course partially subsidised through Skills South Australia (Skills SA). Check your eligibility here: https://finder.skills.sa.gov.au/get-support-for-training/check-my-eligibility
ARO College is an approved provider of Skills SA funding for this qualification. Eligible Participants who live or work in South Australia may receive subsidised training in this course under if they are enrolled as Trainee with a Training Contract.
What is a Training Contract?
A training contract is a legally binding document that is instigated by an Australian Apprenticeship Support Service (AASS) provider between the AASS, an employer, and a trainee which includes a nominated RTO (ARO College) to deliver the program. It must be signed by a parent or legal guardian if the trainee is under 18. It covers:
- the length of the traineeship
- details of the registered training organisation (RTO) delivering the training
- the qualification to be obtained
- employment arrangements and industrial award
The training contract must be lodged with an Australian Apprenticeship Support Service (AASS), who can help with preparing the training contract as well as other paperwork. If you want to become an apprentice or hire one, the AASS are the first point of contact to get started. They connect apprentices and trainees with employers, and support you throughout your apprenticeship. If you’re already an apprentice and don’t know who your AASS is, call the Skilling Australia hotline on 1800 020 108.
Click here to find a local Apprentice Connect Australia Provider | Australian Apprenticeships
Units of Competency & Tuition Fees
16 units of competency must be satisfactorily completed by participants to achieve a AHC31124 – Certificate III in Nursery Operations. The 16 units of competency are comprised of: 9 core units, plus 7 elective units. The 7 elective units selected by ARO College are guided by advice provided by consultation with industry and on the qualifications and expertise of ARO training and assessment staff.
Participants are not provided access to all units of competency (UOC) in the qualification simultaneously. The learning and assessment resources are released at nominal 6-week intervals. Each unit is attempted in the order presented in the Delivery Schedule table below.
Fees
Participants are charged Tuition fees in advance for each individual unit as enrolled via the student portal or provided in person as printed workbooks. The Delivery Schedule table below indicates the fees charged per unit. A single Registration Fee will be invoiced upon enrolment. Please refer to the Charges Table in our Fees, Charges and Refunds Policy.
Customised Delivery Schedules
ARO College will liaise with each participant’s employer to align the workplace’s business activities with the most relevant unit of competency.
Delivery Schedule
| Unit # | Code | Title | Participant Fee (fee for service) |
Participant Fee (SA subsidy) |
| Core | AHCWHS302 | Contribute to workplace health and safety processes | $935 | $450 |
| Core | AHCIRG338 | Troubleshoot irrigation systems | $935 | $450 |
| Core | AHCCHM304 | Transport and store chemicals | $935 | $450 |
| Core | AHCCHM307 | Prepare and apply chemicals to control pest, weeds and diseases | $935 | $450 |
| Elective | AHCIRG347 | Maintain pressurised irrigation systems | $935 | $450 |
| Elective | AHCBIO303 | Apply biosecurity measures | $935 | $450 |
| Elective | AHCPCM303 | Identify plant specimens | $935 | $450 |
| Core | AHCPCM305 | Implement a plant nutrition program | $935 | $450 |
| Core | AHCPCM306 | Provide information on plants and their culture | $935 | $450 |
| Core | AHCPMG302 | Control plant pests, diseases and disorders | $935 | $450 |
| Core | AHCSOL305 | Prepare growing media | $935 | $400 |
| Core | AHCNSY308 | Maintain nursery plants | $935 | $450 |
| Elective | BSBMKG434 | Promote products and services | $935 | $450 |
| Elective | SIRRMER001 | Produce visual merchandise displays | $935 | $450 |
| Elective | SIRXCEG001 | Engage the customer | $935 | $450 |
| Elective | AHCWRK320 | Apply environmentally sustainable work practices | $935 | $450 |
| $ 14,960 | $7,200 |
Outcomes
Awards
Participants that complete all 16 units of competency satisfactorily will be awarded a Testamur certificate and a statement of results for the Course.
Academic Pathways
Graduates of this Course may articulate to a range of qualifications in the AHC Training Package at the Certificate IV and Diploma levels, such as:
- AHC40422 Certificate IV in Horticulture
- AHC50422 Diploma of Horticulture
Occupational pathways
Graduates of this Course are ideally placed to maintain or seek employment in the AHC sector in roles such as:
- Retail nursery team member
Exit Opportunities
Participants have the opportunity to exit the Course prior to completion at any stage. Participants will be issued a Statement of Attainment certificate for any UOC completed.
Entry Requirements
Upfront Assessment of Need (UAN)
To ensure Participants receive the support they need to successfully complete the Course, an upfront assessment of need (UAN) process is undertaken before enrolment is confirmed. All individuals who are seeking access to a fee-for-service or subsidised training place, regardless of prior educational attainment, employment experience or employment status, are required to participate in the UAN process. The UAN process includes an assessment of the participant’s suitability, support needs and literacy and numeracy capabilities via a Language Literacy and Numeracy assessment (LLN).
Employment
All applicants into this Course must arrange and provide their own access to an actual horticulture workplace or enterprise to enable the attempting of practical/performance-based training and assessment activities. Applicants will require a Training Contract or a Workplace Training Agreement (WTA) to be executed prior to an application for enrolment will be offered.
Workplace Training Agreement
Where a Training Contract does not exist, for example under a fee-for-service enrolment, Participants should nominate their current place of employment, if it is an appropriate facility. ARO will engage with the nominated workplace, prior to enrolment being confirmed, to ensure that the workplace can provide a suitable environment to gather practical experience across all tasks outlined in all UOC’s. If approved, ARO will offer a WTA to the employer and the Participant to sign and execute.
Personal
All applicants into this course will need:
- A Unique Student Identifier #
- A mobile phone or other hand-held device that is: web-browser-enabled; can access the Participants personal email account (eg: Gmail); and has a calendar App or functionality (eg: Google Calendar) and has photo and video recording capabilities
- An active personal email address
- Government-issued photo identification inclusive of Date of Birth
- Evidence of personal place of residence address such as a Driver Licence or Utilities/Bank Statement
Assessment
There are 3 assessment Tasks that Participants must achieve a satisfactory result for, to be deemed competent in each unit of competency:
Knowledge questions – 20-40 questions which assess the Performance Criteria and Knowledge Evidence requirements of each Unit.
Workplace Practical Tasks – which are on-the-job project activities using actual equipment and tools, that the Participants undertake in their workplace or simulated workplace or role-play.
Case study and/or project – requiring self-directed research and medium-long-answer written responses which requires the participant to apply theory and practice such as action research, experiment, impact studies, planning for a complex professional task, field work etc.
Third Party Report (Supplementary) – allows for a Workplace Supervisor to provide feedback on the skills and knowledge of the Participant to capably complete the specific tasks in the workplace on multiple occasions consistently.