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Gardener Apprentices
Creating a Pathway to New Gardener Hires
Since 2010 , Rec and Park has hired a total of 36 Gardener Apprentices as full-time gardeners , and for the third year in a row , apprentices made up at least 50 % of all new gardener hires . The gardener apprentice program has become the primary pathway for recruitment of new gardening staff for the department .
The Gardener Apprenticeship program is jointly administered with Laborers Local 261 via a Joint Apprenticeship Committee comprised of three representatives from RPD , three representatives from DPW , and six representatives from Local 261 .
It is the first statewide Gardener Apprentice Program created through labor-management partnership and has become a National Best Practice Recreation Model .
During their apprenticeships , participants commit to 2,000 hours of on-the-job training as well as an academic component of 360 hours of course work in horticulture practice , plant identification and other related curricula provided by City College of San Francisco .
Did you know ?
Rec and Park gardeners maintain more than 220 parks and open spaces across the city .
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