What can I do with my TAFE qualification?

Courses in Horticulture allow students to focus their study on floriculture, landscape design and construction, turf management, parks and gardens, viticulture retail and wholesale nurseries. On the completion of their training, graduates are able to perform tasks such as recommending plants, planning vegetation works and setting up irrigation schedules. They will also be able to understand the importance of sustainability, the differing perspectives of producers and the rest of society in considering sustainability issues.

There are many areas of specialisation within the sector. These include floriculture, gardening, green keeping and nursery work. Within the sector, employment may be gained in a variety of settings such as small businesses, e.g. nurseries or landscape design companies, or in larger industry groups such as Landcare, in botanic gardens or in government departments. Private companies that hire horticulture graduates include resorts, golf courses, developers of horticultural products and private farms. Graduates will gain skills required to operate at a professional level in the nursery, landscaping, parks and gardens, turf or floriculture industry streams.

Job prospects for Garden and Nursery Labourers are below average. Employment for Garden and Nursery Labourers to 2014-15 is expected to grow slightly. Garden and Nursery Labourers are employed across several industries including: Administrative and Support Services; Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing; Public Administration and Safety; and Wholesale Trade. Landscape architects and gardeners have good employment opportunities and are expecting employment to grow slightly to 2014-15. Landscape gardening and turf management are two strongly growing areas linked with increased residential and commercial construction and the development of sporting facilities. Florists’ job prospects are average, with employment expected to remain relatively steady over the next few years, as it has done over the past five. Please keep in mind that with small sectors such as floristry, employment estimates tend to fluctuate.

Jobs titles may include the following:

• Florist
• Flower Grower
• Flower Production
• Garden centre operators
• Garden Writer
• Gardener
• Golf course maintenance
• Golf Course Manager
• Greenskeeper
• Horticultural Consultant
• Horticultural Sales Person
• Horticulture Teacher
• Landcare Worker
• Landscape Contractor
• Landscape Designer
• Landscaper
• Nursery manager
• Nursery Wholesaler
• Operations Manager
• Parks and Gardens Manager
• Plant Propagator
• Production Nursery Manager
• Production Nursery Owner
• Production Nursery Staff
• Qualified parks and gardens tradesperson
• Ranger/Field Officer
• Resource Manager
• Retail Nursery and Garden Centre Manager
• Retail Nursery Manager
• Retail Nursery Owner
• Retail Nursery Staff
• Tree Manager
• Turf Manager
• Writer/ presenter for the horticultural media

Conservation and Land Management students learn to manage our natural resources, including flora, fauna, soils and water. Employment can be gained in both the public and private sectors within areas such as forest/park/catchment management, ecotourism, environmental science research, revegetation/land rehabilitation, hydrography, irrigation/ground water management and environmental education. Employers may include Parks Victoria, the Department of Sustainability and Environment, local governments and companies (both large and small) looking to restore or maintain natural environments (for example, mining or housing development companies, vegetation restoration contractors).

Job prospects for the environmental sciences are good and expected to grow strongly. Park rangers and conservation officers currently have good employment prospects and can expect the number of vacancies in their field to grow strongly over the next five years.

Job titles may include the following:

• Conservation and Land Management Staff
• Development Specialist
• Environmental Consultant
• Environmental Officer
• Environmental Planner
• Environmental Research Assistant
• Environmental Scientist

Positions for viticulturalists are located across a diverse and growing number of regions throughout Australia. Vineyards vary in size from small operations (often family-owned) to large companies employing many people. You can gain experience by obtaining temporary or seasonal positions in a variety of grape-growing regions and countries. Viticulturalists with considerable experience can work as consultants to different wineries, although the majority of wineries prefer to have their own Viticulturalist. Students who complete viticulture courses may find self-employment as a vineyard supervisor, or employment in a technical or supervisory role in the wine industry. Job prospects are varied, with growth expected to be poor. Please keep in mind that with small sectors such as this, employment estimates tend to fluctuate.

Job titles may include the following:

• Vineyard Manager
• Vineyard Supervisor
• Viticulturalist
• Wine Maker

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• Addressing Selection Criteria
• Assessment Centres
• Cover Letters or Letters of Application
• Curriculum Vitae or Resume
• Employer Expectations of Graduates
• Interviews - How to Plan, Prepare and Perform
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• Thinking About Changing Your Course?
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