AHC40416

Certificate IV in Horticulture

Course Details

Tone up your skills and gain a nationally recognised qualification without leaving your local district! This course is designed to build your horticulture skills and knowledge and is suitable for workers progressing their careers towards supervisor or team leader positions.


  • Course Information

    Our Certificate IV course is designed for people who would like to improve their horticulture skills. Our course has a focus on production horticulture/farming. If you are interested in parks and gardens, amenities or urban horticulture this course may not be suitable for you There are no prerequisites however some course entry requirements do apply - it is an entry requirement that you have access to a farm or horticulture business of a commercial scale on which to base your assessment tasks. See below for more details.

    You have up to two years to complete this course in a self paced online format. Your learning time includes not only the time you spend working on the course materials, but also your time for reflection and thinking about what you have learned as you go about your normal activities. We estimate the total learning time may be up to 20 hours per week for some students. Of course, this will vary according to your existing skills and knowledge.

    Student Handbook

    Possible job titles relevant to this qualification:

    • Senior horticulturist
    • Horticulture team leader
    COURSE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
    • Be actively engaged in farming/ horticulture, or have ready access to and knowledge of a farm/horticulture business which can be used for completion of assessment tasks. As a guide, your chosen farm should show these characteristics:
      • Operated as a business for profit
      • Have a commercial scale
      • Have agricultural enterprises such as commercial crops or livestock
      • Be close to where you live so you can be physically on it regularly (eg weekly)
      • Be able to provide you with details of past production, management processes, costs, prices etc. Advanced Diploma units will require access to past financial records
      • If you are not part of the farm business, RuralBiz Training may require you to provide contact details for the owner or manager to confirm your access to the farm
    • Have access to a computer with at least Windows 7, Word 97, Excel 97, Adobe Reader and satellite broadband internet connection or similar. If you have a Mac computer, we suggest you talk to a computer technician about installing the Windows environment
    • Basic computer skills e.g. use of internet, email, basic word processing skills
    • Completion of Year 10 or equivalent or be able to demonstrate similar literacy and numeracy levels
    RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL) & CREDIT TRANSFER

    RPL is a process which recognises the experience and skills you have gained through previous work experiences, or prior study. This means you may gain recognition without additional training.

    If you have done previous accredited training we may be able to offer you direct credit transfer for units in this course. Contact us if you think this applies to you.

    TRAINERS

    Your trainers are well qualified, practical people who are managing their own farm businesses or providing services to farmers.

    Click here for more about the RuralBiz Training trainers.

  • Units

    Certificate IV in Horticulture requires the completion of 12 units made up of:

    • 1 core unit
    • Minimum of 7 units from the electives below
    • Maximum of 4 units aligned to Cert III, Cert IV or Diploma in AHC or other endorsed training package or accredited course - units must be relevant to job outcomes in production horticulture.
                                                   
    Core Unit  
    AHCWHS401 Maintain work health and safety processes
    Electives  
    AHCBUS407 Cost a project
    AHCBUS408 Operate within a budget framework
    AHCSOL401 Sample soils and interpret results
    AHCWRK403 Supervise work routines and staff performance
    AHCORG402 Manage organic livestock production
    AHCPCM402 Develop a soil health and plant nutrition program
    Other Units  
    AHCCHM304 Transport and store chemicals
    AHCCHM307 Prepare and apply chemicals to control pest, weeds and diseases
    AHCPMG301 Control Weeds
    AHCPCM507Diagnose plant health problems
    AHCPCM510Collect and classify plants
    AHCPHT511Develop a horticultural production plan
    AHCSOL505Monitor and manage soils for production
  • Cost

    Your fee for this course will depend on the the availability of a subsidy from your State and your eligibility. To view a summary of all current course fees and subsidies please click here or contact our office for more information.

    PAYMENT OPTIONS

    Payment plan

    Want to make smaller, regular payments throughout your course?

    The payment plan option consists of establishing a direct debit for payments deducted weekly, fortnightly, monthly or quarterly from your nominated bank account or credit card, across the duration of your enrolment. There is a $13.64 establishment fee and an administration charge (Amex, Debt Collection: 5.5% or Direct Debit: 4.5%) on all payment plans. The establishment fee is paid in your first instalment and the administration fee becomes part of your scheduled deduction. Payment plans are administered by DebitSuccess – www.debitsuccess.com.au

    Up front payment

    You can make an upfront payment (of no more than $1,500) for your student fee while enrolling with any residual processed through the payment plan.

  • Delivery

    Self-paced online learning

    Use resources and information in our online learning site (RuralBiz Online) to work at your own rate, at times that suit you. You will find resources to help you learn including videos, quizzes, print materials and links to other useful websites. This site also has a forum where you can post comments and questions for other participants and your trainer. It will also be the spot to upload your assessments, receive trainer feedback and track your progress.

    Interactive online sessions

    These are run in our Blackboard Collaborate virtual classroom where you work with a trainer and other participants. You will be able to see a presentation on your computer screen, hear the trainer and other group members, and ask questions or make comments. One of our previous participants described it as being like "two way radio with pictures" but it also has a whiteboard, chat function and many other tools useful for training. Some sessions are also recorded for listening back at a later date. These sessions are usually run on demand when there is a group of at least 10 participants to attend.

    Printed Manuals

    Many of our units use a printed manual, giving you time to explore the online learning environments while having familiar materials at hand.

    ASSESSMENT

    Your assessment tasks are designed for you to apply your learning to your own farm. In many cases, you produce a valuable resource for ongoing use in your own business - such as an e-Farm Plan which is easily updated or business, cropping or livestock plans.

    Past students have found that they continue to use and adapt these plans well after they have completed their qualification.

    You'll attend an AgForum in each unit - an online informal discussion with other students about day to day issues of interest in agriculture.

    YOUR PROGRESS

    At enrolment, we work with you to design an individual training plan that meets your needs and course rules, so you can complete your course within the 2 year time frame, or earlier if you want to progress more quickly.

    We know that farmers have busy periods during the year depending on their district and type of farming. We also recognise that family issues mean some students will need time out during their course.

    If you find you are unable to keep to your training plan, you can talk to your guardian angel and amend it as needed.

    Remember, we're working with you to make your study possible!

  • Benefits

    Key Benefits

    • Flexible - self paced online or online group delivery, fit study in with your life.
    • Everyone with an internet connection has equal access to training
    • Training is delivered to you - wherever you have internet access
    • No travel time or travel costs
    • Access to online materials 24/7
    • Access to the best trainers who are farmers themselves, not just trainers who can visit your district
    • Your very own Guardian Angel for support
    • Work in groups from a wide geographic area
    • Training can continue even if you are travelling or cut off by floods or other natural disasters
    • Assessments are submitted online - fast turnaround times
    • Student Card - purchase some items at discounted prices
  • Pathways

    Further Education or Training:

    Further training pathways from this Qualification include, but are not limited to:

    EDUCATION

    Employment pathways from this qualification include, but are not limited to:

    • Senior horticulturist
    •    
    • Horticulture team leader