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Following a €7m redevelopment of the site, Mount Congreve Gardens in Waterford reopened to the public in March.
In addition to the new visitor experiences, the team is set to open the brand-new Mount Congreve School of Horticulture.
The school of horticulture is focused on maximising the educational potential that the world-renowned gardens have to offer through nurturing knowledge.
Collaborative approach
During the programme, students and tutors will work alongside an experienced team of garden staff to provide opportunities for knowledge transfer, peer-to-peer learning and to help foster an environment where passion for horticulture leads to shared knowledge and learning for all.
Speaking about the new Mount Congreve School of Horticulture, estate manager Ray Sinnot says: “The Mount Congreve Gardens team, working in collaboration with the Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board, is excited to provide learners in Waterford with the opportunity to study a new full-time one-year horticulture training programme based at the school of horticulture.”
Ray outlines that the aim of the school is to develop further education and training provisions “based on the expertise in horticulture, as, historically, the gardens have always held strong links with education”.
Background
In addition to facilitating students on work placement programmes, it was felt that there was an opportunity in Waterford to create a horticultural education hub as part of the strategy for Mount Congreve Gardens.
The gardens offer a unique location for horticultural education, aimed at maximising the potential of creating a hub destination for broad and varied education in the area of horticulture.
The team has highlighted the importance of accessibility at the venue.
Speaking about the facilities, Ray said: “[It is] a venue which promotes gardening, horticulture, biodiversity and environmental awareness, while supporting the local horticultural industry and enterprise, providing a focus on the land-based sector and promoting employment opportunities for a skilled labour workforce in Waterford.”
About the course
The first programme on offer is a QQI Level 5 major award in horticulture, a one-year full-time training programme funded by the Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board.
In total, there are 16 places on this course that commences on 24 April 2023.
Students in the programme will undertake their training in the renowned gardens and will spend their time studying among the vast botanical plant collections, four-acre walled garden, Georgian glasshouses, wetlands and beautiful woodland gardens.
All areas of the gardens present a unique opportunity to learn and experience a variety of microclimates and plant-growing conditions.
The award will enable learners to acquire relevant knowledge, skills and competencies to carry out horticultural operations in a range of fields linked to local employment opportunities.
The award will also enable learners to prepare for progression to a horticultural specialisation at Level 6 or to higher education institutes at NFQ Level 7.
For more information on the course, read more here.
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