They may specialize in a particular type of crop or livestock. Nursery and greenhouse workers plant, cultivate and harvest trees, shrubs, flowers and plants and provide information on gardening to customers. They may operate tractors and other equipment to fertilize and spray fields and plants. This occupational group also includes cowhands, fruit tree pruners and hydroponics workers. Education, Training and Experience People in this group require different backgrounds depending on their area of work.
Many recent entrants have a high school diploma.
General farm workers may require basic farm knowledge usually obtained from experience. They may complete a college program or other specialized farming course in areas such as farm equipment mechanic, agricultural welding, tree pruning and pesticide application. Nursery and greenhouse workers may require a high school diploma, college courses in horticulture or a related field, and a provincial licence to apply chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. In comparison, employment in all occupations grew 12. Over the next five years, this outlook is not expected to change, as the number of qualified recent graduates or non-completers seeking work is expected to increase more rapidly than the number of job openings in these and related occupations.