Start your dream job with an apprenticeship at The Royal Parks

The Royal Parks charity is looking for eight horticultural apprentices to help them care for some of the most historic and well-loved parks in the UK.

Coinciding with the start of National Apprentice Week (6-12 February 2023), aspiring gardeners can now apply to work in iconic locations such as Hyde Park and Greenwich Park.

The successful applicants will be based in one of London’s eight Royal Parks for four days a week, and study at Capel Manor College in The Regent’s Park on the remaining day.

The scheme typically lasts three years, and apprentices study for the Horticulture Landscape Operative Standard, which includes modules such as plant identification and soil science.  In their final year, they can study for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Level 2 Certificates. They will have the opportunity to learn about and work on a huge range of habitats that help nature thrive, including wildflower meadows, woodlands and wetlands.

As part of their studies, apprentices will also have access to the state-of-the-art Hyde Park Nursery, which grows over 450,000 plants for all eight Royal Parks. Here they will learn about propagation and have a hand in growing the parks’ eye-catching flowerbed displays.

In 2022, apprentice Jay Rathod who is based in Bushy Park, left his job as Store Manager on Oxford Street, to follow his dream of working in the horticultural industry. He says: 

“My first brush with horticulture came after volunteering for local organisations. I then knew I wanted to work outdoors and that horticulture was the right career path for me. 

“Following this, I was thankfully accepted onto The Royal Parks Apprentice Scheme. They believed in my passion and potential to be a gardener in one of the most famous parks in the world. I am learning through a mixture of theoretical and practical work, including cultivation, design and landscape management, and everyone here is really supportive”

The highly successful scheme dates from the 1960s with many of its apprentices going on to secure employment within The Royal Parks, or other prestigious locations such as Kew Gardens and Buckingham Palace.

Michael Rowland, Head of Park Operations at The Royal Parks, said: 

“Our apprenticeships are open to all - school leavers, people who want a career change and even those already working in the horticultural industry. Applications are welcome from all backgrounds and age groups; we just require that candidates have a passion for horticulture and a hunger to learn.

“In return, we are offering the opportunity to work in world class parks, have access to horticultural experts, and have the chance to study for recognised qualifications, making this the perfect springboard for a successful career in the horticulture industry.”

Deadline for applications is 26 March 2023. For more information on the apprenticeship and how to apply, visit The Royal Parks Horticultural Apprenticeship Scheme.