{"id":20095,"date":"2022-07-20T14:34:55","date_gmt":"2022-07-20T18:34:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/?page_id=20095"},"modified":"2026-04-15T14:55:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T18:55:43","slug":"maine-horticulture-apprentice-training-micro-credential","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/learn\/maine-horticulture-apprentice-training-micro-credential\/","title":{"rendered":"Maine Horticulture Apprentice Training"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For your career.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-22678 size-thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2023\/08\/IMG_1403-resized-photo-from-Pamela-Hargest-copy-150x150.jpeg\" alt=\"2 people planting in a raised bed with greenhouse in background\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2023\/08\/IMG_1403-resized-photo-from-Pamela-Hargest-copy-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2023\/08\/IMG_1403-resized-photo-from-Pamela-Hargest-copy-32x32.jpeg 32w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201c I have been looking for a cost and time friendly way to gain some knowledge and skills to shift into the horticulture industry and this class seems to have been just the thing I needed!\u201d &#8211; Program participant<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Flexible, Online Learning At Your Own Pace<\/h3>\n<h4><strong>Ready to Enroll?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Enrollment for the 2025-2026 course is closed.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We will be pausing all three of our training programs for a year to focus on updating our training content, as part of our five-year review cycle. <strong>Check back summer 2027 for information on the next session.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want to stay in the loop?<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/umaine.us20.list-manage.com\/subscribe?u=a1cf4a5b2845aebdbba1bf076&amp;id=98f9beb328\">Subscribe to the Maine Home Garden News<\/a> for updates.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Would you like to host an apprentice?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/learn\/maine-horticulture-apprentice-training-micro-credential\/why-host-a-maine-horticulture-apprentice-trainee\/\" style=\"text-transform:uppercase;\" ><span class=\"button\"> Learn More About Hosting a Trained Horticulture Apprentice at Your Business or Organization <\/span><\/a>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>About the course:<\/h3>\n<p>Flexible online learning plus a hands-on apprenticeship experience make this course ideal for those starting a horticulture career, enhancing existing skills, or launching their own business.<\/p>\n<p>We offer three versions of our in-depth training, based on your interests. <a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/which-horticulture-training-is-right-for-you\/\">Which of our in-depth courses is right for you?<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>What\u2019s Included:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Engaging videos<\/li>\n<li>Informative readings<\/li>\n<li>Interactive activities<\/li>\n<li>Thought-provoking reflection questions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Learn about:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Introduction to the Industry and Food Security<\/li>\n<li>Foundations of Horticulture: Ecology, Botany, Propagation, Soils, Composting<\/li>\n<li>Food Production: Vegetable Gardening, Garden Maintenance, Food Safety, Small and Tree Fruits<\/li>\n<li>Garden Pests and Diseases: Prevention, Identification and Management<\/li>\n<li>Maine Landscape and Design: Plant Selection, Design, and Maintenance<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/learn\/maine-horticulture-learning-standards\/\">Full Learning Standards Available Here.\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Experience:<\/h3>\n<p><strong>200-hour apprenticeship that offers hands-on industry experience.<\/strong> Participants will be responsible for finding their own apprenticeship, with guidance and assistance from training staff.<\/p>\n<h3>Earn:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Maine Horticulture Apprentice micro-credential and certificate. Learn about <a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/micro-credentials\/\">UMaine\u2019s Micro-Credentials<\/a><\/li>\n<li>7 Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)<\/li>\n<li>Credit for Prior Learning: You may be eligible to earn up to three elective credits when you enroll at the University of Maine<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Course Details:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2025 Course Fee:\u00a0 <\/strong><strong>$600<\/strong>, with self-selected sliding scale options available ($300 and $150). Please contact us if the course fee is a barrier for participation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Schedule: <\/strong>Typically late October through late March with several breaks<\/li>\n<li><strong>Format: <\/strong>Online, self-paced through the Brightspace learning platform, with optional live or recorded Zoom Q&amp;A sessions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Technology Requirements: <\/strong><strong>This is an online course<\/strong>. Reliable internet, an email address, and a device with video\/audio (laptop, desktop, tablet) are required. Older devices or outdated software may cause technical problems with the course, and smartphones are not recommended.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is online learning right for you? <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/learn\/online-learning-what-you-need-to-succeed\/\">Learn more about the technology and skills required for online learning as well as options for those with limited computer or internet access here.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Time commitment: <\/strong>18 week course, 4 -5 hours per week<\/li>\n<li><strong>Refund Policy: <\/strong>50% refunds available before November 1st, 2025 (for 25\/26 course).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Access: <\/strong>You will have access to the course content in Brightspace through the end of 2026.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Transferring: <\/strong>Information about <a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/learn\/which-horticulture-training-is-right-for-you\/\">transferring between our training programs<\/a> available under \u201cFAQs.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Have Questions?\u00a0 Contact us at: <a href=\"mailto:extension.gardening@maine.edu\">extension.gardening@maine.edu<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Rebecca Gray at email <a href=\"mailto:extension.gardening@maine.edu\">extension.gardening@maine.edu<\/a> or phone 207.356.1348.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Our Other Training Programs:<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-22681 size-thumbnail alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2023\/08\/DITCH-GARDEN-Joe-Pie-Monarch-resized-9.19-LIZ-copy-150x150.jpeg\" alt=\"Monarch butterfly flying over Joe Pye weed with a summer sky and a few thin clouds.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"color: #0c598e;font-family: 'Roboto Slab', serif\"><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/learn\/maine-gardener-training\/\">Main<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/learn\/maine-gardener-training\/\">e Gardener Training: for your garden.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10379 size-thumbnail alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/01\/IMG_8358-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Purple Coneflower\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><strong><a style=\"font-family: 'Roboto Slab', serif\" href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/master-gardeners\/training\/\">Master Gardener Volunteer Training: for your community.<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>We would like to thank the Maine Horticulture Apprentice Micro-credential Advisory Committee for volunteering their time and their expertise to assist us in creating this training program.<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Maine Horticulture Apprentice Training Advisory Committee<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gary Fish, Sarah Scally and Carole Neil, Horticulture Program, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry<\/li>\n<li>John Pietroski and Amanda Couture, Maine Board of Pesticide Control<\/li>\n<li>Lee Skillin, Skillin Greenhouse and Vice President of Maine Landscape and Nursery Association<\/li>\n<li>Don Sproul, Executive Director of MELNA<\/li>\n<li>Charlene Gray, University of Maine<\/li>\n<li>Cheryl Rich, Southern Maine Community College<\/li>\n<li>Avy Claire and Cathy Rees, Native Gardens of Blue Hill<\/li>\n<li>Laura Wilson, Kate Garland, Mari Glatter, Pamela Hargest, Rebecca Long, Rebecca Gray, University of Maine Cooperative Extension<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For your career. \u201c I have been looking for a cost and time friendly way to gain some knowledge and skills to shift into the horticulture industry and this class seems to have been just the thing I needed!\u201d &#8211; Program participant Flexible, Online Learning At Your Own Pace Ready to Enroll? Enrollment for the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":137,"featured_media":0,"parent":12691,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/page-withsidebar.php","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-20095","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Maine Horticulture Apprentice Training - Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard - University of Maine Cooperative Extension<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/gardening\/learn\/maine-horticulture-apprentice-training-micro-credential\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Maine Horticulture Apprentice Training - Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard - University of Maine Cooperative Extension\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For your career. \u201c I have been looking for a cost and time friendly way to gain some knowledge and skills to shift into the horticulture industry and this class seems to have been just the thing I needed!\u201d &#8211; Program participant Flexible, Online Learning At Your Own Pace Ready to Enroll? 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