This document provides information about continuing education opportunities in horticulture. It discusses the benefits of apprenticeship programs, including financial incentives and industry certifications available through organizations like Landscape Ontario. It also lists many seminars, workshops, conferences and volunteer opportunities that horticulturists can engage in for lifelong learning and professional development. Maintaining continuous learning is positioned as an important attribute for success in the field.

1. CONTINUING
EDUCATION
IN
HORTICULTU
RE
Horticultural Technician Pre-Apprenticeship
2016

2. kraycraft@careerfoundation.org
647-770-6286
KATE RAYCRAFT
2009 – HBA in Environmental Policy&Practice, History, and English,
University of Toronto
2010 – C.R.A.F.T. Organic Farming Internship
2012 – Permaculture Design Certificate, Kootenay Permaculture
2012-2013 – Career Foundation Pre-Apprenticeship / Arborist Level 1,
Humber College
2014 – ISA Certified Arborist
2016 – Pesticide Exterminator License – Forestry
Other Credits: AutoCAD, Landscape Design, Standard First Aid
Employment: Service Sector, Swim Instructor/Lifeguard, Enersource,
EcoSource, Rooftops Canada (Kenya), UofT Community Food
Programming, Tree Care, Landscaping, City of Toronto Parks
Handyworker/Gardener, Career Foundation
Volunteering: Habitat for Humanity (Miami), FoodShare, La Iguana Cacao
Farm (Costa Rica), UofT Environmental Resource Network, CultivateTO,
Toronto Seed Library, Not Far From the Tree
Hobbies: Camping, cycling, travel, arts&crafts, vidya

3. STORYTyme
Why Continue to Learn?

4. Attributes of Success
 Work Safely
 Teamwork
 Reliable and
mature
 Organized
 Shows
Initiative
 Self-Advocacy
 Independent
Worker
 Problem Solver
 Decision Maker
 Networker
 Creative
 Professional
 Physically Fit
 Continuous
Learning

5. How to Keep Learning
 Industry Associations
 Professional Accreditations
 College credits and Continuing Ed certificates
 Workshops and Seminars
 Trade Shows
 Volunteering

7. To make it even more
complicated…
 This:

8. How to Decide?
 Think about where you want to be

9. Completing Your Present Journey
Apprenticeship

10. Benefits of Apprenticeship
 Ontario Loans for Tools
 Apprenticeship Incentive Grant - $1000/yr for up
to 2 years upon completion of level 1 and level 2
 Apprenticeship Loan – up to $4000 per period of
technical training, no interest until completed
Journeyperson exam
 Landscape Ontario Scholarships
 EI while in school and during off-season
 Hort is a Red Seal trade

11. Apprenticeship Process
1. Sign up with your employer as an apprentice
with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and
Universities, and the Ontario College of
Trades ($60/yr)
2. Complete Hort Tech Level 2 ($650)
3. Complete Training Standard booklet with
employer’s sign off
4. Complete Journeyperson Exam, $150 and
125 multiple choice questions
5. 70% on exam = completion grant of $2000

12. The Journeyperson Exam
 Go over Apprenticeship Training Standard
 Try some Sample Questions
 Tips:
 Ask your employer and coworkers for help
preparing
 Read as much as possible
 Try teaching someone else
 Identify what you don’t know
 Fail to plan = plan to fail
 Make a study schedule and stick to it!

13. • Landscape Ontario
• Irrigation Association
• Green Roofs Healthy Cities
• Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute
• International Society of Arboriculture
• Snow and Ice Management Association
• Society for Organic Urban Land Care
• Equipment Handling
• Working at Heights
Industry Certifications

14. Landscape Ontario
 Provincial association – others in other
provinces
 Federal body – Canadian Nursery Landscape
Asso (CNLA)
 Largest hort trade association in North
America
 “Professional, ethical, recognized for benefits
landscape and green infrastructure provide”

15. Landscape Ontario
 Student membership is FREE, comes with
trades mag subscriptions, seminar discounts,
chapter meetings, discounts with partners
 Landscape Ontario Certification Trailer
 Landscape Industry Certified Technician
(wayback playback)

16. Landscape Ontario
 Landscape Industry Certified Technician (CLT)
 Recommended min. 2000 hrs/1 yr experience
 Practical stations + 2.5 hr written test
 Maintenance
 Ornamental Maintenance
 Turf Maintenance
 Installation
 Softscape Installation
 Hardscape Installation
 Irrigation
 Interiors
 Certified Retail Horticulturist (CHT)
 Manuals each $100+tax
 Shipping $25+tax
 Exam registration $80+tax

17. Landscape Ontario
 Certified Landscape Designer (CLD)
 7 years experience as landscape designer
 1-4 must be in related post-secondary education
 Achieve min 70% on each exam section:
 Communications
 Landscape Construction
 Design
 Grading and Drainage
 Horticulture
 Practice
 Portfolio submission with 3 client references
 Training manual $50+tax, shipping
 Exam fee $425, discount for CNLA members

18. Landscape Ontario
 Certified Landscape Manager (CLM)
 Recommended minimum 2000 hrs management
experience
 Achieve at least 70% in each section:
 Marketing and Sales Management
 Leadership and Corporate Citizenship
 Innovation, Strategic, Business and Succession Planning
 Risk/Law/Contract/Gov’t
 Technical – Exterior or Interior Landscaping
 HR Management
 Corporate Financial Management
 Manual set $425+tax+shipping, discount for CNLA
members
 Exam fee $425+tax, discount for CNLA members

19. Landscape Ontario
 Recertification for all CNLA (Landscape
Ontario) Certifications is every 2 years:
 $75
 24 Continuing Education Units Required:
 Seminars
 Workshops
 Volunteering for Industry Events
 Judging Certification Tests
 Speaking, Writing, Reading Books
 Can pre-approve CEUs

20. Irrigation Association
 Leading org for irrigation equipment and
system manufacturers, dealers, distributors,
designers, consultants, contractors, end
users…
 ~10 different certifications available
 Certified Irrigation Technician
 6 months / 1000 hrs of industry experience
 Pass 3 hr exam, 100 multiple choice questions
 Basic irrigation principles
 Basic electrical principles
 Basic hydraulics

21. Water Smart
 Water Smart Irrigation Professional
 Peel, York, Hamilton and LO
 Educates contractors to provide water-efficient
irrigation practices to clients
 Smart tech – computerized systems that deliver
water efficiently, accounting for rainfall
 In-class and field training
 Application basis, free of charge

22. Green Roofs Healthy Cities
 Green Roof Professionals (GRP)
 3 courses, $400-$500 USD each incl materials +
lunch
1. Design and Installation
2. Waterproofing and Drainage
3. Plants and Growing Media
 Exam $495 US, must maintain yearly
membership, 16 CEUS every 2 years

23. Interlocking Paving Institute
 North American trade association for
interlocking concrete paving industry
 Various installer courses:
 Concrete Paver Installer
 Commercial Paver Tech
 Permeable Interlocking
 $350 each, discounts for members

24. International Society of
Arboriculture
 “Promotes professional practice of arboriculture and fosters greater
worldwide awareness of benefits of trees”
 Many horticulturists have a big gap in their knowledge of trees, which are a
very large (physically), important, and costly part of many landscapes
 ISA Certified Arborist
 3+ years eligible, practical work experience in arboriculture and/or degree in arb,
hort, LandArch, or forestry
 Soil management
 ID and selection
 Installation and establishment
 Safe Work Practices
 Tree Biology
 Pruning
 Diagnosis and Treatment
 Urban Forestry
 Tree Protection
 Tree Risk Management
 $375USD exam fee

25. Snow & Ice Management
Association
 Advanced Snow Management Courses
1. Core principles
2. Plowing operations
3. Sidewalk operations
4. Ice management
 Certificate term: 10 years

26. Society for Organic Urban Land
Care (S.O.U.L)
 Organic Land Care Accreditation
 Organic Horticulture Specialist
 Organic Master Gardener
 Organic Land Care Accreditation
Course
 $100 exam fee, prerequisite one of
the above courses, each ~$700
 600 questions, 3 hrs, must achieve
80%

27. Equipment Handling
 Skid Steer Certification (Bobcat etc)
 5 hrs
 $240 (half price for LO members)

28. Equipment Handling
 Compact Excavator Safe Operator
 5 hrs
 $240 (half price for LO members)

29. Equipment Handling
 Chainsaw Training
 Now required by Ministry of Labour for
landscapers
 Two days
 $480, or $250 for LO members

30. Working at Heights Training
 Mandatory for working at 10’ above ground or
more as of April 1, 2015
 Full day
 $265/$200 for LO members

31. Other Certifications

32. Toronto Botanical Garden
 Certificate in Horticultural Therapy
 Certificate in Floral Design
 Certificate in Garden Design (with George
Brown College Continuing Ed)
 Certificate in Urban Beekeeping

33. Universities and Colleges
 Ryerson Certificate in Landscape Design
 Humber College Floral Design
…and more!

34. Seminars, Workshops, and
Events

35. Seminars and Workshops
 Landscape Ontario Professional Development
 Plant Science
 Business Development
 Equipment Handling
 Irrigation
 Integrated Pest Management
 Lawn Care
 Landscape Construction + Installation
 Landscape Design + Software
 Safety and First Aid

36. Seminars and Workshops
 Employer Sponsored Training
 If an employer ever brings up internal or external
courses, express an interest and take advantage
 They may sponsor you through Hort Tech Lvl 2 at
Humber, or other certifications

37. Events
 LO Toronto Chapter
 March 31, 2016 – “Wet Cast vs Dry Cast”
(concrete discussion)
 LO Congress (January)
 Canada Blooms (March 11-20, 2016,
Exhibition)
 Volunteer to get in free
 YouTube Tour of 2015 Displays
 LO Thrive (September, Ancaster
Fairgrounds)
 Formerly known as Garden Expo

38. Events
 LO Snowposium
 New products, snow removal equipment and tech
 Talks on business side of things, best practices
 Grey to Green
 Ryerson, June 1-4, 2016
 “Addressing Climate Change with Green Infrastructure”
 Seedy Saturday/Sunday
 Usually free or donation basis
 Leaside Garden Society
 “No Guff Vegetable Gardening”, Thu March 12, 2016
 North York Garden Club
 “Gardening with Native Plants”, Mon March 28, 2016

39. Volunteering

40. Why Volunteer?
 Build skills in a lower-pressure environment
(unlike work), and for free (unlike school)
 Meet like-minded people
 …who may one day be future bosses, clients,
coworkers, collaborators, BFFs [SOs]
 Psychological benefits
 Resume fodder
 Prove to future employers/clients that you have
energy, good will, initiative, and passion
 Get some extra references
 Work on meaningful projects that don’t generate
income (yet)

41. Types of Volunteer Positions
 One day
 Project-based
 Festival/conference/event preparation, delivery,
support
 Term commitment
 One year / six months is common
 Indefinite
 Skilled / semi-skilled / unskilled
 Informal / other

42. Where to Volunteer?
 Tend to have highly organized
volunteer program
 More structure
 Roles more clearly defined
 Often well funded (relatively
speaking!)
 Can be a relaxed atmosphere
 Often fewer chances to do
“higher level” tasks
 More dishing soup, licking
envelopes, filing, pulling
weeds
 Less planning, writing,
pitching (selling), strategizing,
coordinating
 More variety in types of jobs
available:
 “Nuts and bolts” positions
available, but also,
 Be a leader
 Chance to take initiative
 See your ideas in action
 Be NEEDED
 More responsibility
 Higher stakes
 Can be your role to create
organization and structure
 Often limited funding, if any
 Can be higher stress
Big / Established Organization Small / New Organization

43. Some Suggestions
 Community Work (all
have gardens)
 Evergreen Brickworks
 The Stop Community Food
Centre
 FoodShare
 Black Creek Community
Farm
 Afri-Can Food Basket
 Conservation and
Stewardship
 Toronto & Region
Conservation Authority
 Credit Valley Conservation
 Riverwood Conservancy
 Green Toronto
 Toronto Children’s Eco
Camps
 High Park Nature
 Live Green Toronto

44. Some Suggestions
 Backyard Farming
 Not Far From the Tree
 CultivateTO
 Toronto Urban Growers (networking)
 Sharing Backyards (website down?)
 The Stop’s “Yes In My Backyard”
 Horticultural Societies and Garden Clubs
 Mycological Society of Toronto
 North American Native Plant Society
 Ontario Rock Garden and Hardy Plant Society
 Society of Ontario Nut Growers
 Toronto Cactus and Succulent Club

45. "The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.“ - Chaucer