AHC30722

Certificate III in Horticulture

Plant yourself where your career will grow.

Qualification Description

CRICOS Course Code: 113092G

The AHC30722 Certificate III in Horticulture is aimed at giving you the fundamental horticulture skills you’ll need to build a successful career in the greenlife industry. It will provide you with the specialist skills and knowledge that are in demand by organisations who create and maintain gardens, nurseries, landscapes and large open spaces, including parks, sporting fields, playgrounds and other public spaces.

As the course allows you to specialise in open space management, it broadens your employment opportunities to include larger organisations, like governments and local councils.

Why Ironwood Institute?

Ironwood Institute has been delivering quality Horticulture training since 2009. It provides state-of the-art training facilities in the heart of Adelaide’s CBD with access to practical sites at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens and Adelaide City Council Parks and Nurseries.

Outstanding Achievements

Ironwood students have won the prestigious South Australian Horticulture Student of the Year Award for 2022 and 2023.

Lisa Agars, the 2023 winner, is currently studying Certificate III in Horticulture at Ironwood Institute and has already progressed to the position of Propagation Manager with Lewis Horticulture, a leading horticulture company at Riverlea Park.

Zoe Hsu, the 2022 winner, graduated with the Certificate III and Diploma of Horticulture and is currently working as a senior nursery person at Poplar Grove, a leading wholesale nursery at Sellicks Beach.

Important Information

Duration

The course will be delivered in 52 weeks (one year).

Full-time study for 43 weeks and a break period of 9 weeks between 4 study terms. Each study term is approx. 11 weeks long.

The scheduled contact study per week is 20 hours.

The classes are scheduled per study week for two full days (9 am to 5 pm) and the third half-day (either 9 am to 1 pm or 1 pm to 5 pm).

There are also additional 7.5 hours of self-study scheduled per study week for students.

Intake Dates

28/06/2023
20/09/2023
8/1/2024
3/4/2024
26/6/2024
18/9/2024

AQF Level

Pre-requisites

Nil

Mode of Delivery

Face to Face.

Location of Delivery

Classroom site:

Ironwood Institute: Level 3, 112-118 Rundle Mall, Adelaide SA 5000

Practical site:

Adelaide City Council Nursery: War Memorial Dr, North Adelaide SA 5006
St Laurences Priory: 134 Buxton Street, North Adelaide SA 5006
Adelaide Botanic Gardens: North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000

The Institute does not provide transportation to sites and it is student’s responsibility to get there on time on practical training days either on bus or at their own transport medium.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must have completed Australian year 12 or equivalent overseas qualifications and be 18 years or older at the time of commencement.

Overseas applicants are required to demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 5.5 equivalent.

For complete details please refer to entry requirements.

Material and Equipment Required

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is compulsory for this course. Following are the PPE items:

Safety boots
Broad-brimmed hat
Garden gloves
High visibility jacket
High visibility cotton drill shirt
Cotton drill cargo trousers
Safety Goggles

Students can purchase through Ironwood Institute at the cost of AUD 250.00 or can make the items available at their own cost before course commencement.

Licensing/Regulatory Information

No occupational licensing, legislative, or certification requirements apply to this qualification at the time of publication.

Course Type

Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package Qualification

Course Structure

Total Units 17
Core Units 11
Elective Units 6

AHCPGD309

Perform specialist amenity pruning (Core)

AHCIRG346

Operate pressurised irrigation systems (Core)

AHCPMG302

Control plant pests, diseases and disorders (Core)

AHCPMG301

Control weeds (Core)

AHCSOL304

Implement soil improvements for garden and turf areas (Core)

AHCMOM304

Operate machinery and equipment (Core)

AHCWHS302

Contribute to workplace health and safety processes (Core)

AHCWRK320

Apply environmentally sustainable work practices (Core)

AHCCHM307

Prepare and apply chemicals to control pest, weeds and diseases (Core)

AHCCHM304

Transport and store chemicals (Core)

AHCPCM308

Identify and select plants (Core)

AHCPCM305

Implement a plant nutrition program (Elective)

AHCPCM306

Provide information on plants and their culture (Elective)

AHCSOL305

Prepare growing media (Elective)

AHCBIO303

Apply biosecurity measures (Elective)

AHCIRG338

Troubleshoot irrigation systems (Elective)

AHCNSY308

Maintain nursery plants (Elective)

For further details about each unit of competency please refer to AHC30722 Certificate III in Horticulture.

Assessment Methods

Assessment methods include but are not limited to:

Role Plays
Observation/Demonstration of Practical Skills
Case Studies
Written Reports
Presentations
Interview/Oral questions
Written Tests

Qualification

On successful completion of this course, you will be awarded AHC30722 Certificate III in Horticulture. Students who successfully complete only one or more units of competency within this Qualification will receive a Statement of Attainment. (By enrolling in this course, Ironwood Institute does not guarantee a learner will successfully complete and receive the qualification).

Qualification Pathways

Certificate III in Landscape Construction, Certificate III in Arboriculture, Diploma of Horticulture Management.

Employment Opportunities

Job roles and titles vary across different industry sectors. For those with appropriate work experience, knowledge, and skills gained from this Certificate III can help the candidate to take on the following roles which include but not limited to:

(Ironwood Institute does not guarantee an employment outcome, licence, or accreditation at the completion of this qualification).

Work-based Training

Not applicable

Work Placement

Not applicable

Fees

Ironwood Institute will charge the learner for the enrolment application, tuition, material fees, and training product as per the nominated fee schedules as outlined below;

Fee Type	Administration (AUD)	Learning Resources (AUD)	PPE (AUD)	Tuition (AUD)	Total (AUD)
Full fee	$250	$250	$250	$14,250	$15,000

Initial deposit – 50% of tuition for offshore students and 25% of tuition for onshore students plus administration and learning resources.

Students are encouraged to contact the Institute for current specials and to apply for scholarships.

Why Study Horticulture in Adelaide, South Australia

Recognised for its excellence in environmentally clean, safe, and advanced production making Adelaide a key horticulture destination. Ironwood’s horticulture program allows our students to gain the skills and knowledge to become job ready in all sorts of horticultural positions.

read

South Australia is a major producer of premium horticulture.
Technologically advanced and sustainable horticulture is a key focus in South Australia.
Number one in protected cropping in Australia, with more than 700 hectares of greenhouses with a high number of professional, vertically integrated businesses across the supply chain
Australia’s number one producer of onions and potatoes
Home to Australia’s National Almond Centre of Excellence
Home to the world-leading national Sterile Insect Technology facility
The Northern Adelaide Plains (NAP) is a key horticulture region of South Australia that lies immediately north of the Adelaide metropolitan area. The NAP produces approximately 198,000 tonnes of fresh produce, generating around 20% of the state’s horticulture production by volume and 33% by value, with a farm gate value of $317 million. The area is renowned for growing premium quality vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicums, onions and potatoes. The region employs almost half of SA’s vegetable industry workers including job roles involving :
- broad-acre field vegetable cropping
- tree orchards
- high-technology climate controlled hydroponic systems and
- medium and low-technology poly and shade houses.

For more information visit https://www.northernadelaideplains.com.au/about

Adelaide is Australia’s 1st National Park City and the 2nd globally after London.

South Australia is a global leader in the production of premium, environmentally clean, safe and advanced horticultural crops

Horticulture in South Australia

Hear from Ironwood Students

Felix
Diploma of Horticulture

Heena
Adelaide Plant Growers

Marcelo Guerra
SA Mushrooms

Gurtej Singh
Adelaide Plant Growers

Hear from Horticulture Employers

Nick Femia
SA Mushrooms

Troy Topp
Perfection Fresh

Chris
Owner of Adelaide Plant Grows

Hear from Industry Peak Bodies

Dannielle Chapman
Executive Officer of the NGISA

Mark Cody
Primary Industries Skills Council of SA

Jordan Brooke-Barnett
AusVeg SA

Joy de Leo
ACPET

Grant Dalwood
Nursery & Garden Association SA

Karyn Kent
Study Adelaide

Learn more about the opportunities in Horticulture Industry

AUSVEG has created several deep dive videos that look into some of the obscure but vital roles in the industry. These videos show the daily tasks, responsibilities, and pathways within the Production Horticulture sector.

Further Information

Consumer Protection

The ESOS legislation provides consumer protection to the enrolled students at Ironwood Institute. The written agreement, and the right to make complaints and seek appeals of decisions and action under various processes, does not affect the rights of the student to take action under the Australian Consumer Law if the Australian Consumer Law applies.

Overseas Students Health Cover

It is a condition of student visas that international students and accompanying dependents must hold valid Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the entire duration of their study in Australia. The OSHC rate will vary depending on the personal circumstances and duration of stay in Australia. OSHC is a private health care arrangement, equivalent to Australia’s Medicare system, which helps cover the costs of medical treatments in and out of hospital, should you get sick or have an accident. Ironwood Institute recommends OSHC provider Australian Health Management (AHM). However, this recommendation does not restrict you from obtaining OSHC from a provider of your choice. A list of approved providers can be found on the Department of Health and Aging website.

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