Trainee Gardener x16 - Historic & Botanic Garden Training Programme

Contract: 12 month fixed term contract
Hours: Full-time
Location: Various garden locations around the UK
Salary: From £12.71 per hour (salaries are dependent on placement garden)

Heritage is for everybody, and we are here for heritage.

Heritage lives in places and people, memories and stories, artefacts and traditions. It can connect us all to the past, and to each other. It can make us happier, strengthen every community, and help shape society for the better. Everybody should be able to enjoy the benefits it brings.

Celebrating 20 years and over 350 graduates to date, the Historic and Botanic Garden Training Programme (HBGTP) is managed by English Heritage and offers garden traineeships at a range of outstanding placement gardens.

The HBGTP accepts applications on an annual basis, and this year we are recruiting 16 new trainees to join professional garden teams at various locations around the UK. Positions are full-time and fixed-term, lasting 12 months.

Are you a committed gardener, looking to take the next step into a career in horticulture? This is an incredible opportunity for an enthusiastic person to gain practical paid experience within a historic or botanic garden. The role will enable you as a trainee to experience a broad range of activities, helping to develop your practical skills and increase your horticultural knowledge!

We are committed to providing you with an excellent trainee experience. We provide structure and support to both you and your placement garden through an Individual Training Plan (ITP), as well as maintaining contact in person and via email/phone.

As a trainee, you will also benefit from being part of a cohort, enabling you to communicate, network and potentially visit other trainees in their gardens. All placement gardens contain experienced teams of three or more gardeners, who will guide you through the year, helping to broaden your skills and build your confidence.

Trainees also benefit from a fully funded four-day Autumn Trainee Seminar and a three-day Summer Study Tour. Both provide the opportunity to visit some terrific gardens, attend expert guest lectures and network with other trainees.

As an HBGTP trainee, you will work outside full-time in the garden, obtaining specialist on-the-tools training whilst immersing yourself in the heritage and beauty of one of Britain’s finest gardens.

During your placement, you will complete 3 written projects, keep a daily technical journal, and undertake regular plant identification tests.

By working alongside the gardening team through the seasons, you will develop your practical skills and increase your technical knowledge. Full support and training will be given, allowing you to develop your love of horticulture into a blooming career!

To be considered as an HBGTP trainee, you will need:

• Practical paid or voluntary experience in the horticulture sector
• Interest and commitment to work in the historic and botanic garden sector
• Basic gardening skills that a placement could develop or enhance
• Self-motivation and ambition

When applying, you will be asked to select your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice of placement garden. Or for those who fancy an adventure, you can leave your choices open and select ‘any’!

Shortlisting will be conducted by HBGTP employees and representatives from the placement gardens. Therefore, information on your application will be shared with external representatives outside of English Heritage, but will strictly not be used for any other purpose.

Selection for these roles involves several partner gardens and multiple posts. This means there will be a slightly longer period to appointment than normal. As a guide to help you plan for this:

• Applications close midnight on the 22nd of March.
• All candidates will be notified of the outcome of their application by the end of April.
• Interviews will take place at placement gardens in May, with applicants notified of the outcome of interviews within one working week.

If you would like to talk to us e.g. about workplace adjustments or working patterns, please contact Elinor Davies, HBGTP Manager. Contact details are available via the apply button. No agencies please.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.

You can find out more about the Historic & Botanic Garden Training Programme by visiting the HBGTP website. Our website contains lots of information on the programme along with videos and stories from past trainees. You can also find out more about English Heritage and the work we do by visiting our website and meet some of our people and hear about why they enjoy working with us.

Everybody’s welcome at English Heritage

Forget the stereotypes. It takes thousands of people from every background to care for England’s heritage and open it up for everybody to enjoy. We’re looking for every type of person with every kind of skill and experience, and we’re committed to making sure that English Heritage is an equitable, diverse and inclusive place to work.