An exciting new horticulture course at TAFE NSW Narrandera has seen bumper enrolments.

The Certificate II in Horticulture, offered for the first time at Narrandera this year, comes as the gardening services industry is booming with many people emerging from Covid lockdowns with a greener thumb!

Narrandera locals will be armed with the practical skills and experience to tap into the booming horticulture field with a special qualification being offered for the first time ever at TAFE NSW Narrandera.

A face-to-face Certificate II in Horticulture is currently running at Narrandera has strong enrolment numbers and students from a cross-section of ages and professional backgrounds.

It comes amid a Covid-induced explosion in interest in gardening careers, as many locked-down residents discovered a passion for horticulture and decided to pursue a career in the field. According to the Australian Government’s Job Outlook, the nation’s gardening services industry is set for strong growth in the next year, generating annual revenue of nearly $3 billion by 2024.

Narrandera locals to take advantage of the fee-free course include Halls Cuisine and Collectables owners Bek Rogers and Dean King, who are using it to broaden their horticultural knowledge to help manage their business.

“We have a beautiful garden at our business and six beehives which really are our pride and joy,” Ms Rogers said.

“We grow herbs and vegetables in there and we thought the course would be a great way to learn more about managing it.

“The course has been unbelievable and outstripped all our expectations. We’ve learned so much about identifying different plants and flowers, and understanding how and where they grow. And the fact the course is fee-free has been a massive bonus.”

TAFE NSW Narrandera Head Teacher of Horticulture, Sarah Cox, said there were strong job outcomes for Certificate II in Horticulture graduates.

“Anything from working at a nursery to opening your own gardening services business,” Ms Cox said.

“We have had such a strong response to the course in Narrandera and it really is an exciting time to be entering the industry.”

Australian Institute of Horticulture national president Alan Burnell said the new course would help the local industry build a pipeline of workers to cater for growing demand.

“We’ve seen incredible growth in the horticulture industry over the past few years as people are increasingly looking for jobs that are more sustainable both environmentally and financially,” he said.

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 4 May 2023.