Level 2 Land-Based Service Engineer Apprenticeship

Royal Horticultural Society; Whitby; On-site; GBP 24,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading horticultural organization in Whitby offers an apprenticeship in horticultural machinery engineering. The role involves practical work across seasons, gaining qualifications, and developing skills to maintain and repair various machinery used in horticulture. Candidates must not hold a Level 2 qualification or have over 12 months of industry experience. A salary of £23,810 per annum is provided, with the opportunity to start a career in Land-Based Service Engineering upon completion of the apprenticeship.

Qualifications

• Must not hold a Level 2 qualification in a similar subject.
• Must not have more than 12 months of practical experience in the industry.
• Must have residency in the UK for at least the previous three years.

Responsibilities

• Carry out practical work in all weathers.
• Complete a Level 2 qualification at college.
• Learn maintenance techniques for tools and machinery.
• Develop skills to service and repair various machinery.
• Work safely and sustainably.

Job description

Hours of work: Full time (37.5 hours a week on a rota). The working pattern is 5 days in 7 so your full‑time hours will include some weekend working. For this apprenticeship the college delivery is blended, meaning that you will attend college as a combination of day release (which will involve regular travel) and online learning.

About the Apprenticeship: Do you think a career in horticultural machinery engineering could be for you? Are you interested in learning the practical skills to maintain machinery but new to the industry? The Level 2 Land-Based Service Engineer apprenticeship programme at RHS Garden Wisley will support you to learn and develop your knowledge and skills by working alongside our skilled and experienced engineers and associated teams in the workplace. You will be taught the knowledge and practical skills needed to maintain and repair a wide range of horticultural, agricultural and arboricultural machinery through on‑job learning. Alongside the training in the garden, you will also attend college to study for the Level 2 Land-Based Service Engineer Apprenticeship qualification, developing your understanding of engineering, and to embed the practical learning. On successful completion of the apprenticeship you will achieve the Level 2 Land-Based Service Engineer Apprenticeship, a nationally recognised qualification.

Responsibilities

• Carry out practical work in all weathers and across the seasons.
• Complete a Level 2 qualification at college (equivalent to GCSE level).
• Learn how to use appropriate techniques to maintain and service tools and machinery which is used to cultivate, establish and care for our plant collections all year round.
• Develop the knowledge and skills to service, maintain and repair a wide range of horticultural, agricultural and arboricultural machinery.
• Work safely and sustainably.

Spend time with the Garden Support Services Team Leader and associated teams. For more details on the range of garden areas you would work in, visit https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/garden-highlights. These experiences and the skills you learn will equip you for professional life in the industry and start your career in Land-Based Service Engineering.

Qualifications

• Applicants must not already hold a Level 2 qualification in a similar subject or have more than 12 months of practical experience in the industry.
• UK nationals, citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) or with pre‑settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme and those with the right to abode must have been resident in the UK for at least the previous three years prior to the start of the apprenticeship.

Start date: August 2026. Two years (fixed term).

Salary: £23,810 per annum. The RHS ensure we pay all staff at or above the National Minimum Wage, which is reviewed annually by the government.