Elementary Occupational Certificate: Garden Worker

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to function as a Garden Worker.

A Garden Worker helps in caring and monitoring the health of all plants by undertaking watering, fertilizing, pests, and disease control of plants, trimming trees and shrubs, mowing lawns, weeding garden beds, and keeping hard (paving etc.) and soft (beds, lawn, etc) elements clear of debris and litter.

In addition, learner attributes include the demonstration of basic operational knowledge in the field of garden work i.e., basic knowledge and care of plants, use of common tools, instruments, and machinery, communication skills, learning skills, physical skills, and customer service skills.

A qualified learner will be able to

• Prepare the garden environment.
• Propagate and install plants.
• Maintain established plants.
• Maintain established lawns.

Rationale

The qualification was developed to enable individuals to be employed as garden workers who maintain gardens that fall within the jurisdiction of municipalities, gardens established in housing complexes, private properties, and commercial properties. The need for this occupational qualification arises from pending deregistration of the legacy qualification and an ongoing need by the industry to continue providing skills relevant for a garden worker.

The current profile of garden workers in South Africa is characterised by persons who have few opportunities to enter formal learning and an associated career path due to poor educational standards and marketable skills. Therefore, this qualification promotes careers for persons with an interest in gardening and provides an opportunity to achieve a recognised qualification that will enhance employment opportunities, from rural to urbanised areas in South Africa thereby contributing to the economy.

Worldwide, the focus on greening the cities instead of treating the urban areas as if they were outside the ecosystem is emphasised and gaining momentum. Individual residential gardens play a significant part in this trend. As a result of all these aspects, there is a growing support and need for qualified garden workers as this will ensure an appropriately skilled work force to propagate ornamental plants, install and maintain these valuable green spaces. Furthermore, these much-needed skill contributes to ensuring sustainable business development and growth into the future with the green industry. Landscapes and gardens mean different things to different people. The value of landscapes can be categorised as enhancing our environment, promoting economic development as well as improving human health.

The qualification also supports national initiatives to promote cooperative small business development and opportunities for entrepreneurs. There are various business opportunities available for small entrepreneurs in gardening services in all towns, cities, tourist venues and others across South Africa.

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Typically, learners attracted to this qualification enjoy working outside in all types of weather, adaptability to do lots of practical tasks, the ability to do hard, physical work, like digging, lifting, and carrying and teamwork skills. The garden worker mobility pathway could see his/her moving into the following careers garden centre manager, horticulturist, landscaping etc.

This qualification does not require professional registration, membership or licencing by recognised professional bodies.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL for Access

Learners may use the RPL process to gain access to training opportunities for a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme if they do not meet the formal, minimum entry requirements for admission. RPL assessment provides an alternative access route into a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme.

Such an RPL assessment may be developed, moderated, and conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider which offers that specific qualification/part qualification/skills programme. Such an assessment must ensure that the learner is able to display the equivalent level of competencies required for access, based on the NQF level descriptors.

RPL for Exemption from Modules

For exemption from modules through RPL, learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme through any means of formal, informal, or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded.

RPL for awarding credits

Learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme through any means of formal, informal or non-formal learning and/or work experience may be awarded credits towards relevant modules and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded.

A valid Statement of Results (SoR) is required for admission to the EISA in which confirmation of achievement is provided that all internal assessment criteria for all modules in the related curriculum document have been achieved.

For a Skills Programme, the accredited Skills Development Provider (SDP) must ensure all modular competency requirements are met prior to the FISA and keep record of such evidence.

Upon successful completion of the EISA/FISA, RPL learners will be issued with the QCTO certificate for the qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme. Quality Partners are responsible for ensuring the RPL mechanism and process for qualifications and part-qualification is approved by the QCTO.

Entry Requirements

An NQF Level 1 qualification.

This qualification is made up of compulsory Knowledge, Practical Skill and Work Experience Modules

Knowledge Modules

• 821401-000-01-KM-01, Basic Applied Soils Science, NQF Level 2, 5 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-KM-02, Basic Plant Biology, NQF Level 2, 5 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-KM-03, Basic Plant Pests and Diseases, NQF Level 2, 5 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-KM-04, Basic Categories of Plants, NQF Level 2, 5 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-KM-05, Propagate and Care for Plants, NQF Level 2, 7 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-KM-06, Water, Irrigation, and Water Quality, NQF Level 2, 5 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-KM-07, Garden Tools and Equipment, NQF Level 2, 2 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-KM-08, Safety, Health, and Environmental Protection, NQF Level 2, 3 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-KM-09, Workplace Fundamentals, NQF Level 2, 3 Credits.

Total number of credits for Knowledge Modules: 40.

Practical Skill Modules

• 821401-000-01-PM-01, Prepare the Soil and Garden, NQF Level 2, 15 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-PM-02, Propagate Plants, Transplant, and Install Plants, NQF Level 2, 15 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-PM-03, Care and Maintain Established Plants, NQF Level 2, 5 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-PM-04, Care and Maintain Established Lawns, NQF Level 2, 5 Credits.

Total number of credits for Practical Skill Modules: 40.

Work Experience Modules

• 821401-000-01-WM-01 Procedures in the Preparation of the Soil and Garden, NQF Level 2, 15 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-WM-02, Procedures for the Propagating, Transplanting, and Installing Plants, NQF Level 2, 15 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-WM-03, Procedures for Establishing Plant Care Practices, NQF Level 2, 5 Credits.
• 821401-000-01-WM-04, Procedures for Establishing Lawn Care Practices, NQF Level 2, 5 Credits.

Total number of credits for Work Experience Modules: 40.

1. Demonstrate the ability to prepare soils and establish plants.
2. Demonstrate the ability to care for established plants.
3. Demonstrate the ability to care for established lawns.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

ELO 1: Demonstrate the ability to prepare soils and establish plants.

• Select and care for garden tools and equipment.
• Prepare soils and add nutritional supplements.
• Space, prepare and add nutritional supplements planting holes for trees, and shrubs.
• Administer plant propagation, planting techniques, plant nutrition and watering of newly established plants.
• Uphold health, safety, and environmental protection standards.
• Demonstrate knowledge of productive work practices and ethical conduct.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

ELO 2: Demonstrate the ability to care for established plants.

• Perform plant pruning, thinning, division and planting practices, to achieve the desired result.
• Select, trim, or shape plant parts to achieve the desired result.
• Show an understanding of fertiliser and mulching applications and compost making practices.
• Apply garden watering and water application practices.
• Clean and care for pruning tools to prevent cross contamination or spreading of diseased.
• Uphold health, safety, and environmental protection standards.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

ELO 3: Demonstrate the ability to care for established lawns.

• Care for established lawns and lawn-mowing practices.
• Operate, clean, and care for motorised equipment used for the care of established lawns.
• Show an understanding of fertilisers and the application of fertilisers to established lawns.
• Show an understanding of top dressing and the application of top dressing to established lawns.
• Uphold health, safety, and environmental protection standards.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated Formative Assessment

Formative assessments are conducted throughout the training of learners. A range of formal, non-formal, and informal ongoing assessment activities are used to focus on teaching and learning outcomes to improve learner attainment.

Formative assessments are conducted continuously by the facilitator to feed into further learning, to identify strengths and weakness, and to ensure the learner's ability to apply knowledge, skills and workplace experience gained.

Formative Assessments are conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider (SDP), and a variety of ongoing assessment methods may be used, for example, quizzes, assignments, tests, scenarios, role play, interviews. Continuous feedback must be provided.

Integrated Summative Assessment

Integrated Assessment involves all the different types of assessment tasks required for a particular qualification, part-qualification, or occupational skills programme, such as written assessment of theory and practical demonstration of competence. To achieve this, the Internal Assessment Criteria (IAC) for all modules as found in the QCTO curriculum document must be followed.

An accredited SDP should implement a well-designed, formal, relevant, final internal Summative Assessment strategy for all modules to prepare learners for the EISA. These assessments evaluate learning achievements relating to the achievement of each module of the relevant components of the qualification, part-qualification or skills programme.

Internal Summative Assessments are developed, moderated, and conducted by the SDP at the end of each module or after integration of relevant modules, e.g. applied knowledge tests, workplace tasks, practical demonstrations, simulated tasks/demonstrations, projects, case studies, etc.

The results of these final formal summative assessments must be recorded. These results, which include the Statement of Work Experience results, where applicable, contribute to the Statement of Results (SoR) that is a requirement for admission to the EISA. An SoR, using the template provided by the Quality Partner, is issued by the accredited SDP for qualifications and part-qualifications. The SDP must produce a valid Statement of Results for each learner, indicating the result and the date on which the competence in each module, of each component, was achieved. Learners are required to produce this SoR, together with their ID document or alternative ID document, at the point of the EISA.