Paid Eco-Landscape Apprentice: Learn Native Plants

Yard Reboot Project, Inc.; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 38,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-the-job training

Fast-track promotion

Education stipend

Job summary

Yard Reboot Project, Inc. hires you as an Entry-to-Intermediate Field Technician apprentice to learn ecological landscaping, native permaculture installation, and commercial turf maintenance.

This paid apprenticeship requires no landscaping experience and offers structured progression as you hit milestones. You will spend Monday through Thursday on paid client routes and participate in Friday charitable builds to apply your new skills for the community.

Qualifications

• No landscaping experience required.
• On-time attendance and willingness to work outdoors will be taught.

Responsibilities

• Operate professional-grade trimmers, edgers, blowers, and hedge trimmers.
• Install Texas native pollinator plants, compost blankets, and drip irrigation lines.
• Assist with site grading, debris clearing, and dump trailer loading for composting and biochar.
• Follow all company safety protocols and heat illness prevention guidelines.

Skills

Positive attitude

Physical stamina

Eagerness to learn

Job description

Entry-to-intermediate field technician learning ecological landscaping, native permaculture installation, and commercial turf maintenance. $37,500 - $41,600 annualized.

This is a paid, entry-level apprenticeship for someone who wants a trade, not a temp job. No landscaping experience is required. If you show up on time, listen, and are willing to work hard outdoors, we will teach you the rest - native Texas plant identification, irrigation, soil health, equipment operation, and how to talk to a client.

Yard Reboot Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity that runs a commercial landscape operation to fund free property restoration for seniors, disabled veterans, and homebound neighbors. You will spend Monday through Thursday on paid client routes learning the craft, and every Friday you will be on a charitable build putting that new skill to work for a neighbor who needs it.

Apprentices here are not free labor. You are assigned a lead who is responsible for teaching you, you get scheduled skill check-ins, and you get a pay increase as you clear each milestone. Many of our apprentices arrive from restaurant work, warehouse work, construction, or straight out of high school.

Why this role matters

You will finish your first year with real, portable trade skills, a certification paid for by us, and a body of work you can actually point at. We hire from within first - the crew lead seat is yours to earn.

Mission impact

Clears accessibility blockades and severe safety hazards for seniors and veterans on Friday community rescue days.

Schedule

Full-Time, Monday-Friday daytime hours.

A day in this role

• 6:45 AM - Shop: help load the trailer, check fluids and blades, and hear the day's plan.
• 7:30 AM - Ride out with your lead. Mowing, edging, trimming, and blow-down on client properties.
• 10:00 AM - Plant walk: your lead names five natives on the property and you name them back before lunch.
• 12:00 PM - Lunch and a hydration break; heat safety is enforced, not suggested.
• 1:00 PM - Hands-on skill block: mulching, bed shaping, drip line repair, or debris loading.
• 3:00 PM - Shop wash-down, equipment care, and a two-minute recap of what you learned.
• Friday - Community relief build; you work the same job as everyone else and meet the family it is for.

What you will do

• Operate professional-grade trimmers, edgers, blowers, and hedge trimmers.
• Install Texas native pollinator plants, compost blankets, and drip irrigation lines.
• Assist with site grading, debris clearing, and dump trailer loading for composting and biochar.
• Follow all company safety protocols and heat illness prevention guidelines.

What you need

• Positive attitude, strong physical stamina, and eagerness to learn the green trades.
• Reliable transportation to the Austin equipment yard.
• Veterans and individuals seeking trade transitions are strongly encouraged to apply.

Nice to have

• Any outdoor, construction, warehouse, restaurant, or physical-labor work history.
• Valid Texas driver's license (helpful, not required to start).
• Interest in plants, ecology, conservation, or the trades.
• Bilingual English/Spanish.
• Veterans, second-chance candidates, and career changers are encouraged to apply.

Tools and equipment we provide

• All tools and PPE provided - you do not buy anything to start.
• Training on professional handheld equipment and commercial mowers as you clear each safety milestone.
• Company-paid work boots after 90 days.
• Company transportation from the shop to job sites.

Physical requirements

• Lift and carry up to 50 lbs repeatedly through the day.
• Be on your feet, bending and walking on uneven ground, for a full shift.
• Work outdoors in Central Texas heat with paid hydration and shade breaks.
• Reliable transportation to our shop for a 6:45 AM start.

Pay, benefits, and perks

• Structured on-the-job trade training and mentorship.
• Fast-track promotion path to Crew Lead within 12 months.
• $1,000/year continuing education support; all safety equipment, uniforms, and gear provided.

Where this role leads

• Months 1-3: safety, equipment handling, and route basics; first pay milestone at 90 days.
• Months 4-9: plant ID, irrigation repair, and soil work; we pay for your first certification.
• Months 10-18: senior apprentice running portions of a route independently.
• Year 2+: Crew Lead or specialist track in irrigation, horticulture, or hardscaping.

Our hiring process

• Apply here - a resume is welcome but not required; tell us about yourself in the cover note.
• 15-minute phone call. We mostly want to know that you will show up.
• Paid trial day in the field so you can decide if the work suits you.
• Offer and a start date, usually within two weeks.

Yard Reboot Project, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. Reasonable accommodations are available on request throughout the hiring process.