Alpine Nurseries – Apprenticeship Program

Make Your Next Move – The Horticulture Apprenticeship Program

Here at Alpine, our staff are at the very core of our business and employing the right people for the job is of paramount importance. With a collective depth of knowledge as expert horticulturists, it goes without saying that our team of dedicated individuals, continually strive for excellence when it comes to delivering a quality experience across every area of the business.

With this in mind, not everyone who has joined the Alpine team over the years has come from a horticultural background yet, through our Horticulture Apprenticeship Program, we have welcomed individuals into the fold who have studied everything BUT green life.

Take Jake Tierney for example – one of our three newest recruits to come through the ranks of our Horticulture Apprenticeship Program. Having joined the program in 2020 after having completed a Bachelor of Sports and Exercise Science at UTS, he quickly realised that he wanted to pursue another career path. “To be honest, I was a little lost after completing my degree, so when an opportunity at Alpine Nurseries presented itself, I jumped at the chance and quickly fell in love with this industry,” said Jake. “That’s when I decided to study horticulture for two years at Ryde TAFE, which was the best thing I ever did for myself and highly recommend it to anyone looking to make their next career move. I cannot recommend Horticulture enough, especially for those who regard themselves as a bit of a green thumb – it’s a passion.” Jake is now a qualified horticulturalist, who currently works in the sales office at Alpine.

David Li and Tahnee Moor who also joined the Apprenticeship Program back in 2020 and like Jake, also have varied backgrounds and experience totally unrelated to the gardening industry. David was a high school teacher for almost two years, while Tahnee studied her Masters degree in Secondary Teaching, while also working in the medical supplies industry. David said, “Any time off I had while working as a teacher, I would spend volunteering in a community garden, where I completed a Permaculture Design course. Both experiences shaped my growing interest in plants and ecology, so making a move into horticulture was a very natural progression for me.”

Now a permanent employee at Alpine working as a Sales Executive on council projects, supplying and sourcing a range of plant species, with a particular focus on tree lines David started his journey in the gardening industry quite literally at grass roots level. “I have worked with almost every team and department at Alpine, from production and dispatch, right through to customer service and sales. I’ve potted small plants and massive trees, maintained a range of plant species, worked as an order picker, as well as in the Trademart dealing directly with our trade customers.” Armed with a richer understanding of the Alpine systems and processes, Alpine continues to raise experienced all-rounders who know the ins and outs of working in a large-scale, wholesale nursery.

Hands on experience is valuable – its everything. Now a Sales Executive at Alpine, Tahnee Moor studied her Cert III in Nursery Operations for two years at Richmond TAFE while doing her apprenticeship. “I’ve always had a love for plants – gardening is a great way to de-stress after work, especially given the hours when I worked in the medical supply industry,” said Tahnee. “Working while also studying Horticulture didn’t cross my mind until my partner, also a horticulturalist, noticed my interest in plants and suggested I look into it – which I did, and I’ve never looked back.” Since joining the Horticultural Apprenticeship Program, Tahnee loved the fact that she wasn’t assigned to just one team during her apprenticeship, but instead, enjoyed the team rotations immensely. This, together with her horticultural studies, better equipped her with a deeper understanding of how the industry works and how teams operate together.

It just goes to show that it’s never too late to make a career move. Our Horticulture Apprenticeship Program and recruits are a testament to that. Regardless of your background or age, if you have the passion, we want you! By providing our apprentices the opportunity to work alongside experienced horticulturalists, in turn allows Alpine to set a high benchmark while setting the path to a formidable future. So what are you waiting for?

The next move is yours!

Alpine Nurseries currently have apprenticeship positions available. If you, or someone you know is interested in the Horticulture Apprenticeship Program please email: ryanwelsh@alpinenurseries.com.au or call 02 9651 0900.