Horticulture and Garden Centre Operations

Program objectives

The Horticulture and Garden Centre Operations program prepares students to practise the trade or occupation of plant-care worker.

Plant-care workers work in a variety of settings: for public or private organizations that manage parks, green spaces, gardens and golf courses; for horticultural consulting firms; in specialized garden centres; in the horticultural department of department stores.

Plant-care workers maintain parks and green spaces by producing, maintaining and propagating plants as well as installing flower beds, mass plantings, mosaics, containers and other floral displays. In horticulture, their work consists in preparing soils; seeding, planting and maintaining plants; and preparing and applying plant protection products.

In the retail industry, plant-care workers are often referred to as sales consultants. Their work involves receiving merchandise and displaying living or inert horticultural products; maintaining outdoor and indoor plants; monitoring and maintaining designated sales areas (annuals, perennials, shrubs, etc.); analyzing and responding to customer inquiries by providing information; selling horticultural products or referring customers to specialists; and participating in general retail operations, such as inventory control, sales monitoring and customer needs analysis.

Targeted professions (find out more about a trade or an occupation on Québec.ca)

Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists (2225)
Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers (8612)
Nursery and greenhouse workers (8432)
Retail salespersons (6421)

Job titles

landscape designer
horticulturist
grounds maintenance labourer
groundsman/woman
horticulture worker
lawn and garden supplies salesperson – retail

Admission conditions

To be eligible for admission to this program, candidates must meet one of the following requirements:

Persons holding a Secondary School Diploma or its recognized equivalent, for example, an Attestation of Equivalence of Secondary V studies, or a postsecondary diploma such as the Diploma of College Studies or a Bachelor's degree
OR
Persons who are at least 16 years of age on September 30 of the school year in which their training is to begin and have earned the Secondary IV credits in language of instruction, second language and mathematics in the programs of study established by the Minister, or have been granted recognition for equivalent learning
OR
Persons who are at least 18 years of age upon entry into the program and have the following functional prerequisites: the successful completion of the General Development Test (see the following table), or recognition of equivalent learning
OR
Persons who have obtained Secondary III credits in language of instruction, second language and mathematics in programs established by the Minister are required to pursue general education courses, concurrently with their vocational training, in order to obtain the Secondary IV credits they lack in language of instruction, second language and mathematics in programs established by the Minister.

Functional prerequisites

This section identifies the modules or course codes for the actual programs of study in adult general education that are specific prerequisites in language of instruction and mathematics. Functional prerequisites includes the successful completion of specific prerequisites as well as the general development test (TDG). When a DVS doesn't require specific prerequisites in language of instruction or in mathematics, a dash ( - ) is displayed in the appropriate cell. For programs that lead to an AVS, specific prerequisites and the TDG do not apply (N/A).

Program content