From Favour to Favourite

Jacob Sced from Longridge Country Estate in Paeroa recently completed his New Zealand Apprenticeship in Landscape Construction (Level 4) – a journey that challenged his assumptions about the industry and helped turn a favour into his favourite career option

This Q+A interview with Jacob (and his boss) reveals how and why he got started in the industry and his experience training with Primary ITO – and it could challenge some assumptions that other young landscapers might have about the process!

How did you get started in the industry?

I started in the industry as a favour to our old site manager, who needed someone handy to fix some fences that his onsite landscapers had built. I ended up staying. I started off doing all timber works on site and slowly learnt about everything else a landscaper would need to be successful (plants, mulch, concrete etc).

Why did you want to get qualified through Primary ITO?

I decided that, seeing as I had become a full-time landscaper, I may as well work towards becoming a qualified one. I had worked in several trades since leaving high school but never pursued an apprenticeship. I found landscaping to be a great fit for me personally. As a bonus, all the skills I had learnt previously transferred over naturally.

How did you find the apprenticeship training?

I breezed through Level 3 and have gone on to complete my Level 4 Landscape Construction apprenticeship this year. I am now in one of the head landscaping positions at Longridge Country Estate and loving it.

How did you find the bookwork side of it?

Many people looking at starting an apprenticeship will be like me and find the amount of paperwork daunting. I want to assure you that if you put in the time and effort each week, your time will fly by and you’ll have that certificate in your hand before you know it.

It really does become easier as you work your way through the books, especially as you’re learning more about the industry as you go. Personally, I found the books quite rewarding to fill out and got a great sense of achievement with each one I completed. Most of the modules are enjoyable and interesting to work through.

How important was the support from both your employer and Primary ITO Training Adviser?

I had two Training Advisers through my apprenticeship – George Doig at Level 3 and Barb Cahalane at Level 4. Both were super friendly and easy to work with. They both helped me when I needed it – if I got stuck on specific tasks or if I didn’t understand some of the questions or the wording of the questions.

They visited me on site as I needed them to, pushed me along when I needed it and made my time studying enjoyable. I would also like to shout out my manager Matt. Without his support and verifying all my work, this wouldn’t have been possible.

Also, a big thank you to Mark Orr from Primary ITO, who helped me out a lot whenever I needed clarification on anything in any of the modules. I always looked forward to site visits from George, Barb and Mark. Cheers, you’re legends!

How has the apprenticeship training helped you on the job?

The knowledge I’ve gained throughout my time studying is invaluable. I can’t believe how much I know about plants and turf.

I can wholeheartedly say this is the best thing I’ve done for my career and I would suggest to anybody in the industry to take the leap and sign up!

Employer: Matt Esdale, Village Site Manager – Longridge Country Estate

Why is it important to invest in the skills and knowledge of your staff?

To know they have the skills and knowledge to go and perform the job right the first time. To be able to pull it off and do a quality job. Doing an apprenticeship helped me in my career, so I know it’s worth doing.

What value do you see in the Primary ITO apprenticeship training?

It provides extra knowledge and skills to help an apprentice fine-tune their tasks. You can have someone show or tell you how to do something but understanding the knowledge or ‘why’ behind it really helps.

Our Training Advisers George and Barb were a huge help and were consistent in catching up with the learners and keeping them on track. Having people like that makes it so much easier.

How has Jacob done as an apprentice?

Jacob had 100% commitment to his apprenticeship. The level of detail and information he put into his books showed the attitude he had towards completing his apprenticeship.

Article supplied by Primary ITO.