Questions from and for landscaping apprentices.
I'm six months in and all I do is dig and barrow. When do I actually get to lay pavers?
Mate, everyone goes through this. Digging out, barrowing spoil and compacting base is the job that decides whether the paving lasts 20 years or sinks in two, so the boss needs to know you take it seriously before you touch the finished surface. Show him you can get a base right: compacted in layers, at the right depth, with the fall set properly. Ask if you can help set the string lines and screed rails, then ask to lay a small section like a path or a side return while he watches. Most first years start laying in the second half of the year if they show interest and do not rush. If it is past 12 months and you still have never laid anything, have a polite chat with your boss and your Apprenticeship Connect Australia provider, because your training plan needs you to get that experience to sign off the paving unit.
Answered by a qualified tradieQualified landscaper
Do I need a ticket to drive the skid steer and the excavator?
There is no high risk work licence for skid steers or excavators like there is for forklifts or cranes, so it is not a licence in that sense. But that does not mean anyone can jump on. Your employer has a duty under WHS law to make sure you are trained and competent, and most will either train you in house and sign you off, or send you to get the RII units: RIIMPO318 for skid steers and RIIMPO320 for excavators. Big commercial and civil sites usually will not let you on a machine without that paperwork or a verification of competency. Some Cert III programs include a machinery elective too. My advice: ask for the training early, log your hours, and treat every machine like it can kill you, because it can. Machine skills are one of the quickest ways to make yourself worth more to a landscaping company.
Answered by a qualified tradieQualified landscaper
My mate gets paid way more working for a commercial mob. Am I being ripped off?
Maybe not. Pay in landscaping depends a lot on which award or agreement covers the work. Most residential and maintenance landscapers are on the Gardening and Landscaping Services Award. If your mate is doing landscaping as part of building or civil projects, he might be under the Building and Construction General On-site Award, which has different rates and allowances, or under an enterprise agreement that pays above the award. Overtime on deadline jobs adds up too. What you should do is find out which award or agreement your employer says covers you, then put your details into the Fair Work Pay Calculator and compare it with your payslip. Check your apprentice year, whether you finished Year 12, and whether you were 21 or over when you started, because adult apprentices get a higher rate. If something does not match, ask your boss first, then call the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Answered by a qualified tradieQualified landscaper
Should I do landscape construction or horticulture? I like plants but I also like building stuff.
Be honest with yourself about what you want to do every day. In landscape construction, most of your week is set out, digging, concrete, paving, walls and drainage, with plants and turf at the end of the job. In horticulture or parks and gardens, most of your week is plants, soil, pruning, irrigation checks and maintenance. Both are real careers. The good news is that the Cert III in Landscape Construction still includes core units on plants and their culture, plant establishment and soil improvement, so you will not lose touch with the green side. If you enjoy building and you are happy to be sore, go construction. You can always add horticulture skills later, and a lot of landscapers end up running design and construct businesses where knowing plants well is a big selling point. If you want gentler work and steadier hours, horticulture or a council parks job might suit you better.
Answered by a qualified tradieQualified landscaper
I want my own landscaping business one day. What do I need besides my trade papers?
Your Cert III is the start. If you want to do structural work, like retaining walls, decks, pergolas and paving, check your state's licensing rules, because QLD, NSW and VIC all require a licence or registration once a job goes over a set dollar value, and SA licenses this work too. Those licences ask for your qualification plus proof of experience, and some want business or financial requirements on top. The QBCC, for example, asks for a business unit and minimum financial requirements. Plumbing, drainage connections and mains electrical are separate licensed trades, so you sub those out. Beyond licensing, learn to quote properly. Most new operators go broke on underquoting, not bad work. The Cert IV in Landscape Construction Management (AHC42021) covers costing, estimating and managing projects. Get insurance, keep good records, and spend a few years as a leading hand first so you learn to run jobs on someone else's dime.
Answered by a qualified tradieQualified landscaper
