Qualification details
Title
New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Services (Level 5) with strands in
Amenity, and Sports Turf
Version
1
Qualification type
Certificate
Level
5
Credits
70
NZSCED
050301 - Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies>Horticulture and
Viticulture>Horticulture
Qualification developer
Primary ITO
Next review
December 2019
Approval date
May 2015
Strategic purpose statement
The purpose of this qualification is to provide the horticulture
industry with individuals who have the technical skills and
knowledge to manage horticulture operations to maximise
effectiveness.
The qualification is stranded to recognise the specific skills and
knowledge required to manage operations in the amenity, or
sports turf sector.
Learners will benefit by having a qualification within a training
pathway that recognises progression through the industry, as
well as increased skills and knowledge acquisition to enable
improved job performance.
The horticulture industry will benefit by having skilled managers
who are able to contribute to more efficient and effective
operations.
This qualification ideally suited to people who have significant
operational experience in the horticulture industry, or who are
capable of transferring their prior skills and knowledge, and wish
to develop their technical skills and knowledge to be able to
manage horticulture operations.
Outcome Statement
Graduates will be capable of working autonomously within
established parameters of a horticulture business and may be
managing others.
Graduate profile
Qualification Reference 2675
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
Graduates of the qualification will be able to:
-
demonstrate leadership and relationship management
with team members and clients using a range of effective
interpersonal skills relevant to a horticulture sector.
(15 credits)
Graduates of the Amenity strand will also be able to:
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-
plan and manage parks and open spaces
(20 credits)
-
plan and manage seasonal operations to achieve
functional and aesthetic effect of plants and gardens.
(35 credits)
Graduates of the Sports Turf strand will also be able to:
-
plan and manage sports turf operations to achieve
business objectives.
(55 credits)
Education pathway
This qualification may build on the relevant strand of the New
Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Services (Level 4) [Ref: 2674].
The Amenity strand may lead on to the Design strand of either
the New Zealand Diploma in Landscape (Level 5) with strands in
Design and Construction [Ref: 2888], or the New Zealand
Diploma in Landscape (Level 6) [Ref: 2668].
The Sports Turf strand may lead on to the New Zealand
Certificate in Sports Turf (Level 6) [Ref: 2683].
This qualification may also lead on to a relevant strand of the
New Zealand Diploma in Business with strands in Accounting,
Administration and Technology, Leadership and Management,
Maori Business and Management (Level 6) [Ref: 2460].
Employment pathway
Graduates of this qualification are likely to be employed as:
Amenity – head gardener, head groundskeeper, parks
supervisor, plant collection curator, operations supervisor
Sports turf – sports turf manager, golf course superintendent,
racetrack manager
Qualification specifications
Qualification award
This qualification may be awarded by the Primary ITO as the
qualification developer and the industry training organisation
arranging training leading to the qualification under section 5 of
the Industry Training Act 1992.
This qualification may also be awarded by an education
organisation accredited under section 250 of the Education Act
1989 to deliver an approved programme leading to this
qualification.
The formal document certifying the award of this qualification will
display the NZQF logo and may also include the name and/or
logo of the awarding education organisation.
Evidence requirements for
assuring consistency
Qualification Reference 2675
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
All education organisations offering programmes leading to the
qualification must engage with arrangements for managing
consistency, including covering actual and reasonable related
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costs.
Each education organisation is responsible for deciding what
specific evidence it will provide to demonstrate how well its
graduates meet the graduate profile outcomes of the
qualification.
Evidence of the following must be provided:

Student feedback on course delivery and qualification
achievement, their perception of the value of the training,
and suggestions for improvements

Feedback from employers on the level of skills,
knowledge and behaviour demonstrated by graduates of
the qualification

Evidence of effective internal quality assurance systems

Portfolios of work and/or assessment samples
demonstrating the range of student performance within a
programme
TEOs can also provide any other relevant evidence that supports
the consistency review.
Minimum standard of
achievement and standards for
grade endorsements
The minimum standard of achievement required for award of
the qualification will be the achievement of all graduate
outcomes in the graduate profile through successful completion
of an NZQA approved programme.
Other requirements for the
qualification (including regulatory
body or legislative requirements)
There are no regulatory body or legislative requirements.
General conditions for the programme leading to the qualification
General conditions for programme
TEOs offering programmes leading to this qualification must
maintain currency with amendments to, and replacements of,
relevant legislation, regulations, and Codes of Practice.
Health and safety, sustainable practices, and reporting apply
across all outcomes and must be considered as part of the
assessment process.
The landscape construction strand outcome must include
relevant aspects of The Building Order 2011 (RBW Order) in
the assessment process where landscape construction is
carried out in the residential landscape sector.
The behaviours that contribute to compliance with workplace
procedures, and commercial standards and timeframes are
inherent in the performance of the qualification’s outcomes and
must be considered as part of the assessment process.
Conditions relating to the Graduate profile
Qualification Reference 2675
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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Qualification outcomes
Conditions
1
Programmes may include the following topics:
Demonstrate leadership and
relationship management with
team members and clients using
a range of effective interpersonal
skills relevant to a horticulture
sector
 Mentoring
 Negotiation
 Networking
Programmes may also include relationship management with
contractors, clients, the public, and regulatory authorities when
required for the role.
2
Amenity Strand
Programmes may include the following topics:
Plan and manage parks and
open spaces
 Planning and management of - plant health, plant pest and
disease, grounds, amenity turf, seasonal requirements
 Seasonal requirements
 Prioritisation
 Project management
3
Plan and manage seasonal
operations to achieve functional
and aesthetic effect of plants
and gardens
Programmes may include the following topics:
 Plant – selection
 Integrated pest management plans
 Planting design
 Soil management
 Nutrient management
 Regeneration plantings
 Inventory management
 Project management
4
Sports Turf Strand
Programmes must include the following topics:
Plan and manage sports turf
operations to achieve business
objectives
 Turf management budgets
Programmes may include the following topics:
 Sports turf surfaces and associated infrastructure (irrigation,
drainage)
 Effect of cultural practices on botany and plant physiology
 Soil amendment strategies
 Integrated pest, weed, disease management plan
 Environmental management plan
 Products and services – costings and estimates
Qualification Reference 2675
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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 Workplace risk management and control
 Staff daily routines
 Goal setting
 Nutrient budgeting
 Survey activities

Sports facilities

Procedures before, during, and after sports events
Transition information
Replacement information
This qualification replaced the National Certificate in Sports Turf
(Level 5) [Ref: 1558].
Learners currently enrolled in programmes leading to the replaced qualification may either complete the
requirements as specified below, or transfer their results to this replacement qualification.
The last date for entry into programmes leading to the replaced qualification is 31 December 2017. The
last date for award of the replaced qualification is 31 December 2019.
Qualification Reference 2675
© New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2015
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