Matt has been teaching since September 1990. Morgan joined the teaching ranks in 2019. We both teach at Humber College, and previously at Mohawk College, in the Horticulture Technician Apprentice (Red Seal 441C) program. The students’ classrooms include shop floors, greenhouses, golf courses, municipal parks, and job sites across Ontario. We teach because this industry deserves—and needs—well-trained people who can build sustainable landscapes, steward living systems, and lead teams with safety and professionalism.

The Stakes: A Big Industry, A Bigger Need for Skills

Canada’s landscape and horticulture workforce is large and essential. Recent federal occupational projections report 80,300 landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers, 25,200 contractors and supervisors in landscaping and horticulture, 15,100 landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists, and 22,200 nursery and greenhouse labourers.

Zooming out, the employment base continues to grow: industry analysis estimates 81,464 people employed in landscaping services in 2025, up from 79,909 in 2024. Ontario alone counts ~32,600 landscaping labourers, with a majority in services like grounds care and maintenance—roles that often serve as the entry point into the trade.

What Training Really Does

A trained person in our industry can build a stellar career across disciplines: arboriculture, landscape construction, irrigation, turf management, interiorscapes, native plant restoration, nursery production, greenhouse operations, design support, and supervision. The Horticultural Technician apprenticeship (441C) blends 5,400 hours of paid, on‑the‑job training with 720 hours of in‑class learning, culminating in a Red Seal credential that is recognized across Canada—a portable proof of competence.

Why We Teach (And Why We Keep Teaching)

We teach to make our trades better. Period.

We’ve known incredible business owners who built companies from the School of Hard Knocks. Their grit is admirable. But skepticism about formal training sometimes stems from fear:

• “What if I hire someone who knows more than me?”
• “What if I train them and they leave to start a competing business?”

A mentor once told us:
“The only thing worse than training a person and having them leave, is not training them and having them stay.”

 

That line has proven true over and over—on safety, productivity, customer trust, and team morale.

Training doesn’t replace experience; it amplifies it. The best crews pair veterans with apprentices who bring current standards (e.g., safe equipment use, pesticide licensing awareness, best practices in soil health, plant health, and irrigation efficiency) and the confidence to ask smart questions.

What the Numbers Tell Us (And What They Don’t)

It’s tempting to say, “We have lots of workers—what’s the problem?” National outlooks for several landscape occupations show “balanced” supply-demand conditions over the next decade. But that macro balance hides local and seasonal realities: high turnover, short work years for many roles, and real difficulty attracting and keeping supervisors and skilled technicians—especially in fast‑growing regions and peak seasons. Employers repeatedly cite labour and skills shortages among their biggest challenges.

In short: **we don’t just need “more people”; we need more *qualified* people**—and more employers committed to structured training.

Our Philosophy: Don’t Be the Smartest Person in the Room

We’ve never wanted to be the smartest person in the room. We want to be in a room full of smart, capable people—horticulturists who diagnose and treat plants properly; irrigation techs who save water and protect infrastructure; supervisors who build safe schedules and coach crews; workers who recognize pest cycles and act early; construction leads who set grade right the first time. That’s how companies scale quality without burning out owners.

So the industry designed the courses and job‑site mentoring to build competence, confidence, and judgment—and to connect apprentices with a professional identity. It changes how they show up.

A Word to Business Owners

If you built your business on hustle (and you probably did), here’s what structured training buys you:

• Safety & Risk Management: Fewer injuries, fewer claims, fewer callbacks.
• Efficiency & Quality: Better plant selection, site prep, grading, irrigation tuning, and maintenance standards—less rework, higher customer satisfaction.
• Talent Pipeline: Apprenticeship gives you an earlier look at future crew leaders; you can coach them into supervisory roles backed by recognized credentials.
• Retention & Culture: People stay where they grow. Training is culture.

Ontario’s 441C program is cost‑effective (government covers ~85% of in‑class training; grants available; EI supports during school for eligible apprentices), and it integrates cleanly with winter semesters.

What We’re Doing Next

In 2026, we’ll have a team of four, and every one will be a registered Horticultural Apprentice. We’re practicing what we preach—because the industry we love deserves bench strength.

Call to Action: Let’s Grow the Bench

• Owners: Register your promising crew members in 441C and map out a three‑year plan. (Learn more at Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship Ontario.)
• Apprentices: Ask for on‑the‑job skill sign‑offs and seek out winter semester training. The Red Seal is portable; you’re building a career that travels.
• Educators & Associations: Keep tightening the link between classroom and job site. We need pathways that move faster from “interested” to “competent.”
• Municipal & Institutional Buyers: Specify trained crews and Red Seal credentials in RFPs. You’ll get better outcomes and safer sites.

We teach because a well‑trained workforce raises the floor and the ceiling—on safety, pride, wages, and the landscapes we leave behind. If we do our part, more people will discover the joy (and viability) of green careers—and our towns, campuses, parks, and private spaces will be better for it.