Overview

Horticulturalists and Soft Landscapers are trained to maintain gardens and be involved in designing and planting containers and borders. But many also find themselves working within Garden Centre Retail.

The Foundation Skills competitions have been created to showcase the skills of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), additional learning needs (ALN), or who require additional support for learning (ASL). Participants will be tested against core competencies aligned to Entry level 3 or level 1.

These competitions provide excellent opportunities for students and learners to develop their vocational skills, employability and wider skills for work, personal, social and independence skills.

Through the course of this competition students and learners will undertake tasks that reflect the standards and skills required to be a skilled/semi-skilled landscaper in today’s horticultural industry. Competitors will be required to complete various elements of of added value arrangements, elements of soft landscape (bed preparation, design and planting of a raised border). As well as the ability to merchandise a display in a retail plant area.

The skills you need to demonstrate

  • Creativity

  • Attention to detail

  • Health and Safety

  • Planning

  • Working independently

  • Problem solving

  • Attention to detail

  • Interpersonal skills

Contact details

Entry criteria

  • This is an individual Competition.
  • There is no limit to the number of competitors permitted to enter this competition per organisation.
  • To be eligible to enter WorldSkills UK Competitions, participants must be at least 16 years of age on 1st September 2024
  • Participants must be either employed in the UK, studying towards a relevant UK qualification or working towards an apprenticeship in a relevant trade in the UK
  • Participants must have specific learning and support needs to enter this competition, which is suitable for learners at Entry Level 3/Level 1
  • Participants may be asked to provide accreditation and/or RARPA based evidence of participants’ level and specific learning and support needs.

How it works

Registrations open at 9am on Monday 3 March and will close midnight Friday 28 March.

Entry Stage will be released at the end of the registration period, with a final deadline of 24 April 2025

Qualifiers will take place Tuesday 10 & Wednesday 11 June at North Warwickshire & South Leicestershire College – Nuneaton Campus

To help finalists prepare ahead of the UK Final, we will provide relevant technical training and share mindset development techniques, to support them to remain focused on achieving success.

Prepare students and apprentices by engaging with our benchmarking resources to master their skills and mindset masterclasses to build confidence and resilience on the WorldSkills UK Learning Lab.

The National Finals are scheduled to take place in Wales during the week beginning 24 November, 2025.

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