2 September 2024

TAFE NSW has helped a talented young Coffs Harbour musician strike a new career chord in the booming horticulture field.

Ruby Jarman, 19, is the daughter of two professional musicians and has had a lifelong love affair with music, playing regular gigs across the North Coast.

But a desire to gain the practical skills and experience to forge a second career led her to enrolling in a Certificate II in Horticulture as a TVET course through TAFE Digital in her final year of high school in 2023.

She has since landed a job as a garden labourer at Bowraville organic farm collective, North Arm Farms.

“I’ve always had a passion for horticulture and I just find it so rewarding working outdoors, tending to a garden and growing your own stuff,” Ms Jarman said.

“The TAFE Digital course was ideal because I could learn at my own pace and was able to do all the practical assignments on my family property.”

She said the course dramatically increased her skills and knowledge, and she is now considering doing further study in horticulture while undertaking a Bachelor of Music.

“The course really helped me understand things like identifying weeds and knowing when something is in season, and gave me great skills around pruning and picking,” Ms Jarman said.

Ms Jarman is one of many who cultivated an interest in gardening during COVID lockdowns and decided to pursue a career in the field.

According to the Australian Government’s Job Outlook, the nation’s gardening services industry is set for strong growth in the next year, generating annual revenue of nearly $3 billion by the end of 2024.

TAFE Digital horticulture teacher Emma De Landre, a 30-year veteran of the horticulture industry, said the industry had surged in growth during COVID lockdowns and maintained momentum since.

“There is a huge demand for our graduates and plenty of jobs around,” Ms De Landre said.

She said a Certificate II or III through TAFE Digital armed graduates with the skills to gain immediate work as a gardener, while the newly launched Diploma of Horticulture Management provided an opportunity for more senior roles.

The Diploma includes units in identifying and selecting trees, diagnosing plant health problems, assess landscapes, and preparing estimates, quotes, and tenders. The course qualifies graduates in roles such as parks and gardens supervisor, landscape manager, and nursery manager.

Media contact: Dan Johns, TAFE NSW Communications Specialist, 0477 722 428

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