Offered at Langley

Description

Kwantlen's Horticulture Technician Certificate program provides students with employment opportunities in the greenhouse vegetable production, landscape maintenance, and retail horticulture industries, depending on the specialization chosen. This demanding training program is highly practical, with over fifty per cent of the time spent on skill development in a laboratory setting. Through a high level of interaction between industry and faculty, the program offers courses that are relevant to the needs of industry and students.

The program's Landscape Maintenance and Retail Garden Centre specializations are Career Technical Centre (CTC) - sponsored and offered in partnership with the Delta, Richmond, Surrey, and Langley school districts to interested grade 11 and 12 secondary school students. Secondary school students are to contact the Career Education Department in their regions for further details.

Student Profile

Students should have a strong desire for hands-on work, enjoy nature and living things, be concerned about the environment, and have entrepreneurial talents. Individuals with allergies to dust, pollen, or plant products or specific chemicals should be aware of the potential impact on their health. Physical fitness and a healthy back are generally required for a successful career in these horticulture disciplines. Students will be required to work with plant protection products.

Three Specializations:

Greenhouse Vegetable Technician

Student intake for this specialization is September. This program includes approximately 700 hours of training over a period of three 12-week semesters (fall, spring and summer) and paid work experiences. Classes are scheduled to allow students to pursue part time work in the greenhouse industry throughout the academic year.

Landscape Maintenance Technician

Student intake for this specialization is February. This program includes approximately 700 hours of training over a period of two semesters. Paid industry work experience is required for graduation. Classes are scheduled Monday to Friday

Retail Garden Centre Technician

Student intake for this specialization is February. This program includes approximately 700 hours of training over a period of two semesters. Paid industry work experience is required for graduation. Part time employment is possible during the busy Christmas sales period. Classes are scheduled Monday to Friday

Career Opportunities:

Greenhouse Vegetable Industry

The Lower Mainland of B.C. has some of the best climatic conditions in the world for the production of greenhouse vegetables, especially tomatoes. The BC greenhouse vegetable industry has seen significant growth over the last 10 years and should see sustained growth in the future. B.C. producers also employ state of the art technology, comparable to the best greenhouse operations in Europe. These greenhouses are also leaders in the use of biological pest controls. This is a vibrant industry in BC with excellent long term potential.

Landscape Maintenance Industry

The landscape maintenance sector contributes an estimated $130 Million annually to the horticulture industry in B.C. Employment opportunities exist with landscape and lawn care companies, school boards, municipal parks, private garden estates, and commercial property management firms.

The Horticulture Technician Certificate program responds to a need for qualified personnel in this sector by offering students the basic skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to begin a successful career as a landscape maintenance technician.

Retail Garden Centre Industry

Graduates of this program will gain knowledge in horticulture, plant identification, plant and turf care, pest management, and basic landscape materials, as well as an understanding of sales, merchandising, and customer service.

In response to consumer demand, the retail nursery and garden center industry in BC has increased yearly in size and in sophisticated marketing and merchandising strategies. Store sizes range from small family-run businesses to large, highly competitive mass merchandisers and up-scale garden center chains. Employment, although seasonal in nature, is becoming more regular year-round with increased sales in Christmas items and giftware.

Admission Requirements

Starting January 2003 the Landscape Maintenance and Retail Garden Centre specializations will be offered to interested grade 11 and 12 secondary school students enrolled in the Delta, Richmond, Surrey, and Langley school districts. High school students may qualify for entry through Kwantlen's Concurrent Studies admission process. In total, 30 seats will be made available to high school students on an annual basis. Any remaining seats will be offered to the general public on a first come-first served basis. All other applicants and applicants to the Greenhouse Vegetable specialization, both full-time and part-time, must meet general Kwantlen admission requirements (see section on General Information - Admission).

The following are additional requirements specific to the Horticulture Technician Certificate program:

• English 11 with a C or equivalent
• Math 11 with a C or equivalent

All applicants are invited to arrange an interview with a faculty member to help clarify program demands and career opportunities.

Graduation

A provincially recognized Horticulture Technician Certificate will be granted to students who have completed the required course work and work experience

Greenhouse Vegetable Technician

(September 2002 to June 2003)

Core Courses:

CMNS 1105 Introduction to Interactive Communication

BUSI 1204 Supervisory Skills for Technicians and Florists

HRTT 1100 Horticultural Work Experience

HRTT 1102 Botany

HRTT 1103 Basic Pest Management

HRTT 1202 Soils and Growing Media

HRTT 1206 Mechanics and Trouble Shooting

Specialization Courses (required):

HRTT 1101 Greenhouse Environment

HRTT 1104 Vegetable Crops - fall Activities

HRTT 1203 Greenhouse Pests

HRTT 1204 Vegetable Crops - Winter Activities

HRTT 1302 Boiler Operation in Horticulture

HRTT 1304 Vegetable Crops - spring Activities

HRTT 1306 Greenhouse Systems

HRTT 1310 Food Safety

HRTT 1311 Indo-Canadian Culture: An Introduction

Retail Garden Centre Technician & Landscape Maintenance Technician

(February 2003 to January 2004)

Core Courses:

CMNS 1105 Introduction to Interactive Communication

BUSI 1205 Supervisory Skills

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HRTT 1102 Botany

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HRTT 1120 Landscape Maintenance Operations

HORT 1155 Introduction to Plant Identification

HRTT 1202 Soils and Growing Media

HRTT 1206 Mechanics and Trouble Shooting

HORT 1240 Arboriculture I

HORT 1255 Plant Identification II

Specialization Courses

Retail Garden Centre Technician (required):

HRTT 1109 Home Garden Plant Care and Quality

HRTT 1112 Sales and Merchandising

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Landscape Maintenance Technician (required):

HRTT 1222 Landscape Maintenance and Estimating

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More Information

Students, who have completed the Horticulture Technician Certificate and wish to use the credits towards a diploma or a degree, will have to meet the general admission requirements for the University College plus the individual entry requirements (incl. course prerequisites) for the Horticulture Technology Diploma program. The number of advanced credits received will depend on the specialization chosen.