The Growing Spectrum Horticultural Training Centre (GSHTC) is located at one of New Zealand’s leading plant nurseries.

Where else can you train in a horticultural environment like this?

Carol and Peter Fraser invested in a classroom and practical workspace at their nursery with the aim of upskilling people entering the horticultural industry.

The National Certificate in Horticulture (Level 4) is NZQA accredited and is a 36 week full time course. The course is taught in the nursery.

Carol Fraser runs the course with the part time assistance of two qualified tutors. Importantly these tutors are both self employed in the horticultural industry so they keep up to date with the real business world.

Experienced Growing Spectrum staff also assist students with their practical training to workplace procedure and workplace stanards.

Students comment that they are at a distinct advantage to be taught horticulture in a commercial operation. Consequently students are very employable at the end of the course.

What is different about this course?

  • The program is taught at Growing Spectrum where the classroom and nursery constantly overlap as the learning environment. (See the photo gallery)
  • Practical ‘hands on’ skills are carried out in the workplace, to workplace standards, with an emphasis on tidy, efficient work habits.
  • The students are in the nursery for 36 weeks, so they become familiar with the daily, weekly and seasonal activities of a successful nursery operation.
  • Students are surrounded by beautiful plants. While training they have the opportunity to grow plants by seed, division, cuttings, budding and grafting and they are able to take these plants home.