New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Fruit Production) (Level 3)
Course details
About the course
Get your hands dirty
Do you love working outdoors and want a career that connects you with nature? This hands-on qualification is designed for people who want to start or grow their career in the horticulture industry, focusing on fruit production. You’ll learn practical skills and knowledge to work confidently in orchards and fruit-growing environments.
What you will learn
You’ll gain real-world experience and learn how to care for crops, manage plant health, and carry out seasonal fruit production tasks. Graduates are ready for entry-level roles such as orchard worker or field worker, and can progress to higher-level horticulture qualifications.
The Growing Environment (15 credits) – Understand what plants need to thrive! Learn about soil, water, climate, and sustainable growing practices.
Topics include: soil management, irrigation, fertilisers, compost, shelter belts, and hydroponics.
Block Establishment and Maintenance (15 credits) – Discover how to set up and maintain a fruit-growing block.
Topics include: soil preparation, planting techniques, irrigation systems, and building fruit support structures.
Crop Health (15 credits) – Keep plants healthy and productive.
Topics include: pest and disease identification, control methods, safe agrichemical use, and sustainable practices.
Fruit Production Tasks (15 credits) – Get hands-on with seasonal tasks throughout the growing cycle.
Topics include: pruning, thinning, pollination, grafting, canopy management, and teamwork skills.
Harvesting (15 credits) – Learn the art and science of harvesting fruit crops.
Topics include: harvest techniques, quality control, food safety, and market compliance standards.
Delivery
Face-to-face & blended learning
About the provider
Based in Hamilton, the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), is one of the country’s largest institutes of technology. We deliver high-quality education across vocational (technical) and professional fields of study to approximately 13,000 students, across over 130 different courses.
At Wintec students are educated in a way that builds their confidence and gets them work-ready. We differ from other types of tertiary providers in the way students get the chance to put their theoretical learning into practice from the very start. You will get to work on real-life projects based on relevant topics and themes as if you were in the workplace. You will also get involved in work placements. This means that by the time you graduate, you will be confident in your skills and knowledge, and know-how to apply your learnings. Our academic staff have years of industry experience between them, which means they can guide you on your journey.
Wintec maintains collaborative relationships with local industry and iwi to identify the needs of the region and community. Fostering strong networks that our students and graduates benefit from is a high priority for us. Understanding the needs of local industry, what type of graduates they need now, and what they will need in the future is critical to assisting industry and our graduates.