Graduates of the recently completed eight-week basic and 12-week advanced horticultural apprenticeship training programs were praised by a number of guest speakers on their commitment to education and choice of careers.
The in-school training programs held at Landscape Ontario were made possible through the strong partnership between the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities (MTCU), LO and Humber College.
Humber College dean Bob Moulton congratulated the students on completing the most difficult step in the apprenticeship process and reminded them that learning is a life-long process.
Michelle Sale of MTCU also congratulated the students on their hard work and dedication to learning.
LO past president David Turnbull challenged the graduates to take full advantage of the accessibility to education and employment our society offers, noting that there is no limit to the success any individual can achieve.
Amber Griffin, a graduate of the apprenticeship program, now employed with the City of Mississauga and member of the HT Apprenticeship Industry Committee, stressed the importance of following through with the entire apprenticeship process to the end.
“You don’t plant a tree, then not water it. You don’t sod a lawn and not fertilize it,” she said, refering to the next step in the process which is for the apprentices to accumulate 5,400 hours of job experience and have employers sign off on skills as they are mastered. Once all of the necessary skills are signed off, the final step is for the apprentice to make an appointment with the MTCU to write their Certificate of Qualification (C of Q) exam.
Griffin explained how she not only found a job after graduation, but how she also received a promotion and feels her life has changed dramatically as a result of graduting from the apprenticeship program.
LO’s executive director Tony DiGiovanni reminded the graduates that by entering the workforce, they become representatives of the industry to the public. DiGiovanni also mentioned the value of horticulture and the role it plays in enhancing people’s lives.
For more information on the apprenticeship program, contact Terry Murphy at Landscape Ontario, 1-800-265-5656, ext. 317.
