Landscape apprenticeships

The Landscape Institute is committed to creating new routes into the sector and so we helped develop the Level 3 Landscape Technician apprenticeship and the Level 7 Chartered Landscape Professional apprenticeship.

Why become an apprentice?

As an apprentice, you’ll gain hands-on experience as part of a team of seasoned landscape professionals. You’ll also benefit from a structured support system that will help guide you through your career journey and answer all your role-related questions.

You’ll get a real feel for the work in a landscape practice and it will help to bridge the gap between finishing education and kickstarting your career as you brush up on your transferable skills, such as communication, time management and problem-solving.

In addition, as you’re working your way to your industry-recognised qualification, and improving your employability, you’ll also be receiving a salary and may even student discounts.

The majority of an apprentice’s learning takes place on the job with an element of off-the-job training taking place with an education provider which is usually a Further Education College.

To succeed in an apprenticeship you need to meet the Occupation Duties and the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours set out in the standards and at the end of the programme, the apprentice will enter the endpoint gateway to undertake their endpoint assessment which is carried out by an Independent End Point Assessor appointed by their End Point Assessment Organisation.

Apprentice Landscape Technician (Level 3)

A Landscape Technician is someone who works with and supports landscape professionals in designing, planning and managing spaces in both natural and built environments.

Your duties in this role include interacting with clients, planners, landscape architects, architects, landscape managers, urban designers, ecologists, engineers, arboriculturists, park managers, local and national Government departments, non-governmental organisations, the public, local communities and many others. Your work will include a mixture of office based and outdoor activities.

Typical job titles: Assistant parks manager; Building Information Modelling technician; Geographic Information Systems technician; Junior landscape architect; Landscape assistant; Landscape clerk of works; Landscape technician; Landscape technologist; Landscape visualiser; Landscape cad technician; Parks officer

Entry requirements: The entry requirement for the apprenticeship will typically be five GCSEs at Grade 4 (Grade C) or higher including Maths and English or a Level 2 apprenticeship in a relevant discipline but the final decision is that of each employer. Apprentices without Level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level before taking the endpoint assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan, or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship English and Maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3 and British Sign Language qualifications are an alternative to an English qualification for those for whom this is their primary language.

Duration: The programme usually takes 24 months before you enter the endpoint gateway.  You should allow up to an additional 8 months to complete your endpoint assessment.

Membership: Apprentices are eligible to become a Student Member of the LI and upon successful completion of their apprenticeship they will be eligible to become Technician Members of the Landscape Institute (TMLI).

Apprentice Chartered Landscape Professional (Level 7)

A Chartered Landscape Professional is someone who can lead the design, creation, maintenance or management of spaces in both natural and built environment.

You will require a mix of practical skills, an understanding of people and society, appreciation of the natural world and the ability to bring these diverse skills together and to build relationships with people and communities including volunteers, friends groups, team members, the public and other professionals.

You will be innovative, solve problems and take account of a wide range of issues including regeneration, the availability of finance, the environment, the availability of finance and public health.  You will work across multiple sectors and scales from strategic planning on a national scale to small scale designs for homeowners.

Chartered Landscape Professionals are leaders and role models and are likely to have significant responsibilities within an organisation including responsibility for the financial implications of their projects. They identify and develop partnerships to bring additional support and finance to the management of landscapes and take a commercial approach  to managing green spaces.    They abide by the Landscape Institute’s Code of Conduct and ethical standards of conduct because they hold positions of responsibility and make decisions that impact on the natural and built environment and long term wellbeing of communities

Typical job titles include: Chartered Landscape Architect; Chartered Landscape Professional; Landscape Architect; Landscape Engineer; Landscape Manager; Landscape Planner; Landscape Professional; Park Manager; Senior Landscape Architect; Urban Designer

Entry requirements: Typically, an apprentice might be expected to have already achieved Level 3 qualifications e.g. A Levels or a Level 3 apprenticeship in a related discipline. Apprentices without Level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level before taking the endpoint assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan, or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship English and Maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3 and British Sign Language qualifications are an alternative to an English qualification for those for whom this is their primary language.

Duration: The programme usually takes 48-60 months before you enter the endpoint gateway.  You should allow up to an additional 8 months to complete your endpoint assessment.

Membership: Apprentices are eligible to become a Student Member of the LI and upon successful completion of their apprenticeship they will be eligible to become a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute (CMLI)

Find out more about Landscape Apprenticeships

Apprentices: You can find current apprentice vacancies on the LI Jobs Board or on the Gov.uk website.

Employers: If you have a vacancy you want to advertise on the LI Jobs Board then please contact recruitment@landscapeinstitute.org.

Find a provider: you can find an apprenticeship provider here.

Funding: Apprenticeships are funded through the apprenticeship levy which was created so businesses can take on more apprentices.

The apprenticeship levy is paid by large employers with a pay bill of over £3 million. Currently, only 2% of employers pay the levy, which is set at a rate of 0.5% of their total annual pay bill. Every employer who pays the levy has a digital account where they can access their levy funds to spend on apprenticeship training. While only the biggest businesses pay the levy, the funding generated by it also funds apprenticeship training for other employers who want to take on apprentices. Smaller employers – those with a total annual pay bill of less than £3 million – pay just 5% of the cost of their apprenticeship training and the Government pays the rest.

Employers involved in creating the Landscape apprenticeship standards: Tyler Grange , Re-form Landscapes, Meiloci, Munro-Whitten, Landuse UK, Gillespies, The Environment Partnership, Capita, Birmingham Council, Amey, Farrer Huxley Associates, Fira Landscape Architects. BDP. LDA Design, Arup, LHC Design, Highways England, Winchester City Council, Townshed Landscape Architects, Wilder Associates , The Landscape Institute

Enquiries: If you are a prospective apprentice, employer or provider and need any further information on how to get involved in Landscape Apprenticeships please email apprenticeships@landscapeinstitute.org

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