What is the day-to-day work of a gardener with a federal certificate in gardening and landscaping like?

A gardener with a federal certificate in gardening and landscaping organizes and manages the work involved in creating, altering and maintaining gardens, parks, the surroundings of residential and commercial buildings or hedges, borders and trees. They work in nurseries, gardening offices and companies, botanical gardens or cemeteries.

They instruct and lead the team on the work site, plan and monitor the work, correct and optimize the work steps. If employees, customers or other specialists have questions, they are the contact person who provides information, solves problems and passes on information. They prepare work reports and keep a record of the progress of work in order to account for the work carried out. Depending on the position and area of responsibility, gardeners with a federal gardening and landscaping certificate advise new customers, prepare cost estimates and write quotations. They supervise apprentices in the company and help to plan and organize their training.

The following areas of work are typical for gardeners and landscapers:

• Planning, calculation, organization, monitoring and control of the work
• Creating the reports
• Responsibility for the quality of work and compliance with regulations when installing, modifying and maintaining, cleaning and caring for facilities
• Planning and calculation of orders
• Determine the need for employees, machines and materials
• Purchasing materials and plants
• Create deployment plans for personnel
• Advice and support for customers
• Create cost estimates and quotations
• Acquisition of new orders
• Create invoices
• Personnel and administrative management tasks, instruction of employees, training of apprentices
• Instructing and accompanying external companies

Target group and skills: Who is the professional examination for gardeners with a federal certificate in gardening and landscaping suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The gardener gardening and landscaping training is aimed at the following people:

• Gardener EFZ and gardener EFZ who would like to continue their professional training
• Completed basic training in the green sector and gained initial professional experience in gardening and landscaping
• skilled craftsmen in the executive area of a horticultural company who would like to take on a management role
• with recognized industry title of customer gardener (modules green space maintenance and soil care, plant protection, care + nutrition of plants) or foreman (horticultural technology)

The following skills and characteristics are required for a successful job as a gardening and landscaping gardener:

• Interest in nature, interest in plants, powers of observation
• Design flair and creativity
• Quality and customer awareness
• Communicativeness
• Independent and flexible
• Imagination
• Efficient way of working
• Organizational skills and reliability
• Resilience and weather resistance
• Practical aptitude and manual dexterity
• Leadership qualities
• Technical understanding, interest in motorized devices and machines
• Sales talent

Requirements for admission to the professional examination for garden and landscape gardeners:

The following prerequisites are required for admission to the final examination (federal professional examination) as a gardening and landscaping gardener:

• Apprenticeship qualification with a federal certificate of competence as a gardener and landscaper or equivalent qualification
• and at least 2 years of professional experience in gardening and landscaping

or

• Apprenticeship qualification with a federal certificate of proficiency in another profession
• and at least 5 years of professional experience in gardening and landscaping

and

• Proof of the required module qualifications or certificates of equivalence

If demand is high, some schools select course participants according to criteria such as professional experience, previously completed further training and grades in the qualification procedure.

You will find out whether you meet the requirements for the professional examination in gardening and landscaping at least three months before the start of the examination with a written notification - in the event of rejection including reasons and instructions on how to appeal.

Subject matter and content of the gardener training course in gardening and landscaping:

The subject matter of the preparatory courses for the professional examination for the gardening and landscaping specialist certificate is based on the specifications of the sponsor of the federal examination, theJardin Suisse Swiss Gardeners' Association.

The learning content of the gardener training course in gardening and landscaping is divided into the following topics:

• Compulsory modules for all:
  • Vocational trainer in the training company
  • Basics of health protection and occupational safety
  • Communication and customer relations
  • Employee management and team leadership
  • Soil care, plant protection, plant care and nutrition
• Compulsory modules for the gardening and landscaping specialization:
  • Plant knowledge and use
  • Horticultural technology
  • Green space maintenance
  • Work organization in gardening and landscaping
• Two optional modules of your choice:
  • Water systems
  • Kitchen garden systems
  • Golf turf
  • Sports turf
  • Site-appropriate, aesthetic plant design
  • Vessel greening
  • Building greening
  • Cemetery culture
  • Revitalization of watercourses and shallow water zones
  • Biological engineering structures
  • Gardening services
  • Maintenance of near-natural habitats in urban areas
  • Pruning fruit trees
  • Sales Green sector
  • Playground construction, safety, care / maintenance
  • Care of small-crowned trees and solitary topiaries
  • Swimming pond and biopool
  • Tree inspection
  • Permaculture, biodynamic and regenerative cultivation
  • Dry stone walls and small structures

Costs and financing of further training for garden and landscape gardeners:

The costs vary depending on the provider and duration of the gardening and landscaping apprenticeship. On average, these amounts are to be expected for the training costs:

• Course fees:between CHF 12'500.- and CHF 18'700.-
  After taking the exam, you will receive around 50% of this back from the federal government on application (regardless of the result)*.
• Examination fees:CHF 1,600 (as at: 2023)
  The examination fee is set by the body responsible for the professional examination. It is paid by the candidate after confirmation of admission to the gardening and landscaping examination.
• Extra costs:At some schools, the costs for enrolment fees, teaching materials, training documents, books, intensive exam training, simulation exams, school diplomas and interim qualifications, for example, are not included in the course fees. Please contact the provider of your choice directly to find out what additional costs you can expect for the gardener training course in gardening and landscaping.

*Since 1.1.2018, preparatory courses for federal professional examinations such as gardening and landscaping training for gardeners have been financially supported by the federal government. Graduates of these courses can therefore be reimbursed up to 50% (max. CHF 9,500) of the course costs paid after taking the federal examination. In cases of hardship, the federal contributions are also pre-financed in exceptional cases.

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort for the gardener training course in gardening and landscaping:

• The gardener training course in gardening and landscaping has a modular structure and lasts 2 to 3 semesters. It comprises around 650 lessons.
• The teaching times vary depending on the provider of the gardening and landscaping training course. Classroom teaching usually takes place on one day during the week (usually Fridays) and on Saturday mornings.
• Many schools now offer a mix of face-to-face and online teaching (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning) as well as self-study.
• Thanks to the extra-occupational concept of the gardening and landscaping further education course for gardeners, you can immediately apply and deepen the learning material in practice. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for lesson preparation and follow-up as well as for self-study. Depending on your previous knowledge, working style and learning speed, we recommend that you allow at least 3 to 5 hours per week.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons", which provide an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. A suitable learning environment is important on the way to successful graduation.

Degree, diploma and title:

The professional examination "Gardener with a federal certificate in gardening and landscaping" takes place annually, provided that at least 10 candidates meet the admission requirements, otherwise every two years. It can be held in German, French or Italian.
Candidates for the professional examination in gardening and landscaping will be notified at least 4 weeks before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the examination program (with details of the place and time of the examination as well as permitted aids) and the list of experts.

The professional examination for gardeners in horticulture and landscaping comprises the following two parts:

• Project work
  for a gardening and landscaping job or project carried out by the company or by a guest company
  • Written documentation (prior: written and practical)
  • covers a sub-area of the field of work
  • the execution of an order for the sale, construction, alteration or maintenance of gardens or parts thereof
  • Documenting the order and its execution
  • Recording the basics for operational evaluation
  • Draw conclusions for optimization
• Presentation and technical discussions on the project work (oral, 30 min.)
  • Processing tasks across the entire field of gardening and landscaping using a case study
  • Viewing and evaluating the specifications, organizing and preparing the execution, estimating the personnel and time requirements and creating aids for execution
  • process and solve based on practice-oriented principles and industry-standard tools
  • Record solutions in writing

Diploma and title "Gardener Gardening and Landscaping"

Graduates of the professional examination receive a federal certificate and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Gardener with a federal certificate, specializing in gardening and landscaping" or "Gardener with a federal certificate, specializing in gardening and landscaping".

• In French: "Horticulteur avec brevet fédéral, orientation paysagisme", "Horticultrice avec brevet fédéral, orientation paysagisme"
• In Italian: "Giardiniere con attestato professionale federale, indirizzo paesaggismo", "Giardiniera con attestato professionale federale, indirizzo paesaggismo"
• In English: "Gardener, Federal Diploma of Higher Education, Specialization: Landscaping" (Attention: This is only a recommendation/translation and not a protected title)