Horticulture and Land Conservation
Sector Snapshot
The industry
Horticulture and land conservation is an important industry and source of employment in Australia.
This industry includes the cultivation of plants and trees, gardening, and looking after parks and nature reserves.
Many of the jobs have stable to moderate growth rates.
Horticulture is separate but related to agriculture, which involves edible crops, farming and livestock.
Because of the importance of horticulture and land conservation for our country’s future, the government funds many courses in the industry.
The workers
Many people in horticulture and land conservation work as gardeners.
As one of the top employing occupations, there were 67,000 gardeners in Australia in 2019.
Government predictions show that jobs in gardening will grow and there will be 71,800 workers by 2024.
Another big group of workers are garden/nursery labourers and nursery people. In 2019, they were 35,200 strong and will have stable and moderate future growth respectively.
Greenkeepers are another big group in this industry. In 2019, there were 20,200 workers, a number expected to grow moderately in the coming years.
The future of horticulture and land conservation
With stable to moderate growth of workers in horticulture and land management, the industry will continue to be an important part of the Australian economy.
Several influences will see jobs created in the industry.
The government also recognises the importance of conservation and has invested $1 billion in the National Landcare Program.
Meanwhile, as the development of cities and towns expands, the government and private sector are looking to increase green spaces in design and construction.
Jobs
Jobs in horticulture and land conservation include:
- Gardener
- Garden and Nursery Labourer
- Greenkeeper
- Nurseryperson
Jobs in land conservation include:
- Bushcrew member
- Park Ranger
Qualifications
While many workers in horticulture and land conservation don’t have qualifications, a VET certificate or diploma can be helpful.
Education and training in horticulture and land conservation gives you the skill, knowledge and confidence to do your job well.
Earning a qualification also makes you a better candidate for jobs, as employers will recognise your demonstrated and validated expertise and experience.
A number of courses in horticulture and land conservation are well-funded, giving young people and career changers the perfect opportunity to study.
Jenny Sulivan was one such career changer, who traded a career in running weddings for work in the great outdoors.
“I looked into horticulture and thought this is exactly where I want to be. I’m doing a Certificate III in Horticulture and loving it.”
Box Hill institute offers the following courses:
- Certificate III in Horticulture (Free TAFE)
- Certificate III in Conservation and Land Management (Job Trainer)
- Certificate III in Ecology (Specialising in Aerial - Elevated Work Platform) (Job Trainer)
- Certificate III in Landscape Construction (Apprenticeship)
- Diploma in Conservation and Land Management
