Apprentice - Horticulture

Sanctuary Group; Basildon; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Pension scheme with employer contribs

Life Assurance

Employee Advice Service

Cycle to Work scheme

Voluntary health plans

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Sanctuary Group is recruiting for an apprenticeship in Horticulture in the Basildon area. You will work towards a Level 2 qualification in partnership with Grey Seal, gaining practical experience in horticulture and customer service in Southeast operations.

You will be supported by on-the-job training and college study, with a starting salary of £20,966.40 and 40 hours per week, closing date 1 September 2026. A full UK driving licence is preferred or training may be provided.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, including Maths and English.
• Keen interest in horticulture and landscaping.
• Enjoy physical work.
• Hold a full UK driving licence, or be willing to undertake driving lessons to drive a company vehicle on completion of apprenticeship.

Responsibilities

• Work primarily in the Basildon and Rochford regions, and other areas of operation in the Southeast.
• Gain practical experience in horticulture and learn customer service skills.
• Participate in on-the-job learning and off-the-job college training with Grey Seal.
• Support the team to deliver high-quality service to customers.

Skills

Willingness to learn

Enthusiasm

Dedication

Customer service skills

Education

GCSEs including Maths & English

Job description

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Inclusion is one of our core values. Our goal is to be a diverse, inclusive organisation where our people thrive and meet our customers’ needs with fairness and empathy. We know having a range of ideas and opinions makes a difference. We encourage and welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds to support this mission. We will make adjustments throughout your application process, in line with Sanctuary’s commitment to our Disability Confident employer status.

Fixed term contract initially for 24 months

Basildon

Starting Salary Year 1: £20,966.40

40 hours per week

Are you looking for your next step or change in career? Our Apprenticeship programme gives you practical experience, all whilst working towards a qualification in partnership with our training provider, Grey Seal.

You’ll work towards a Level 2 nationally recognised qualification in Horticulture . As well as gaining experience in the workplace, you’ll be supported by ‘off-the-job’ training at college. This helps provide a route or pathway to further skills, opportunities, and progression. All of this will be supported by the team around you, ensuring you are getting the best out of your apprenticeship!

What will you do?

You will work primarily in the Basildon and Rochford regions as well as other areas of operation in the Southeast. This opportunity will give you a chance to earn valuable practical experience in Horticulture and enable you to learn the customer service skills needed to build a career in the industry.

What skills and abilities do I need to have?

We look for candidate s who live and breathe our values;Ambition, Inclusion, Integrity, Quality and Sustainability- and have a willingness to learn, enthusiasm and dedication.

On top of this, practical skills we are looking for are;

• A minimum of 2 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above (or equivalent to), including Maths and English
• A keen interest in horticulture and landscaping
• Enjoy getting stuck into physical work
• Hold a full UK driving license, or be willing to undertake driving lessons with a view to holding a full UK driving license, in order to drive a company vehicle on completion of your apprenticeship

Why work for us?

Sanctuary Property Services provide in-house repairs and maintenance services for an extensive portfolio of properties across Sanctuary Group’s organisations. As part of a not-for-profit organisation, we aim to achieve outstanding results for our customers based on our values - working in an open and transparent way, creating strong partnerships with our customers and providing a first-class customer service.

Ready to join us?

As part of our commitment to making Sanctuary a great place to work, where your wellbeing is of genuine importance, we have developed an attractive employment package. The package recognises your contribution, supports your physical, mental and financial health and gives you the flexibility to tailor your employee benefits by offering:

• 25 days annual leave
• A pension scheme with employer contributions from Sanctuary
• Life Assurance
• Employee Advice Service including counselling
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Voluntary health plans
• Wellbeing support and tools

Closing Date: 1 September 2026

Inclusion is one of our core values. Our goal is to be a diverse, inclusive organisation where our people thrive and meet our customers’ needs with fairness and empathy. We know having a range of ideas and opinions makes a difference. We encourage and welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds to support this mission. We will make adjustments throughout your application process, in line with Sanctuary’s commitment to our Disability Confident employer status.

We work closely with the Home Office in order to prevent unlawful working.

A basic Disclosure and Barring Service check will be necessary in the event of a successful application which we will pay for.

Sanctuary Maintenance Contractors Limited is a subsidiary of Sanctuary Housing Association, an exempt charity.