Professional Work Placements

About the placements

Learners will spend a year working with a specific garden department, assisting the team with day-to-day cultivation and maintenance tasks. Placements for 2023 will be available at all five RHS Gardens.

 

Want to know more?

Hear first-hand from our current Professional Work Placements about what’s involved in this one-year opportunity.

Download the factsheet (875kB pdf)

What RHS Gardens have placements

RHS Garden Wisley

There are Professional Work Placements with the following teams:

• Alpines
• Edibles
• Formal and Ornamental
• Garden Support Services
• Glasshouse
• Herbaceous
• Nursery and Propagation
• Trials
• Welcome and Riverside
• Woodland

RHS Garden Harlow Carr

There are Professional Work Placements with the following teams:

• Alpine
• Edible and Productive
• Nursery

RHS Garden Rosemoor

There are Professional Work Placements with the following teams:

• Edibles
• Ornamental Horticulture
• Nursery and Propagation

RHS Garden Hyde Hall

There are Professional Work Placements with the following teams:

• Estate and Countryside
• Floral and Ornamental

RHS Garden Bridgewater

There are Professional Work Placements with the following teams:

• Edible
• Community and Wellbeing
• Ornamental and Turf

Applications and entry requirements

Applicants are expected, as a minimum, to have completed a Level 2 horticultural qualification. This could be a National Certificate in Horticulture, Horticultural Operative Apprenticeship Standard, a Level 2 Diploma in Horticulture such as a City & Guilds, the RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture or RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Plant Growth and Development. 

Applicants should have

• GCSE qualifications in English and maths (or equivalents)
• At least three months of practical work experience in a professional horticultural environment
• Experience of using basic horticultural machinery, equipment and/or tools
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a team
• An openness to working with new individuals across the garden on a regular basis
• Experience of working with customers/visitors in a professional environment, and of giving good customer service
• A flexible approach to working (e.g. weekend work will be required on a regular basis, and evening work will be required from time to time)

Please note: You must have the right to work in the UK to apply. The RHS is unable to sponsor any visa applications. A good working knowledge of the English language is essential and evidence to that effect will be requested.

 

Learner life at RHS Gardens

Training away from home can be daunting but we’re here to help you. We can support you with:

• Finding local accommodation
• Getting free access to our amazing libraries
• Connecting you with new friends from across the world

Find out more

Got a question?

Email our dedicated team and they’ll help you get your learning under way.

Email the team

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You might also be interested in...

• Learner stories: See what our current and past learners have to say about their training at the RHS – read the stories
• Supporters: Our work-based training programmes are only possible with funding from our supporters – find out about our supporters
• Careers in horticulture: If you’re looking to change careers or just starting out, the world of horticulture has dozens of roles – explore more careers