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10-Week Internship Program
Purpose
- Allow students to explore areas of interest in a real-life setting.
- Gain skills and knowledge not available in a classroom.
- Expose students to all aspects of the company’s business operation.
- Earn income for tuition or college expenses.
- Gain a competitive edge when seeking employment in the industry.
- Potential for permanent hire after successful completion of internship and 2- or 4-year horticulture-related program.
Learning Modules
- Exterior Operations
- Maintenance
- Equipment Operation
- Turf Care
- Shrub and Ground Cover Care
- Seasonal Color
- Irrigation Management
- Pest and Disease Identification
- Plant Identification
- Installation/Construction
- Layout
- Plan Reading
- Specification Detail
- Fundamentals of Irrigation Components
- Equipment Operation
- Tree Staking/Guying
- Grading
- Sod Installation
- Soil Preparation
- Planting
- Establishment Practices
- Irrigation
- Design
- Sustainable Landscape Considerations
- Controller Programming
- Watering Schedule
- Water Allowance Consideration
- Water Auditing
- System Evaluation and Mapping
- Understanding Evapo-transpiration (ET)
- Troubleshooting and Repair
- Pest Control/Chemical Application
- MSDS Awareness
- Product Labeling
- Proper Identification
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Application and Handling Laws, Licensing
- Mixing
- Application
- Disposal
- Emergency Steps
- Public Posting
- Other Specialties
- Erosion
- Lighting
- Wetland Mitigation
- Snow Removal
- Support Functions
- Sales
- Estimation – Site Review
- Proposal Presentation
- Lead Generation
- Cold Calling
- Closing – Follow-up
- Contract Administration – Transition to field implementation
- Purchasing
- Ordering Process
- Purchase Order System
- Collecting Information from Field
- Understanding Inventory System
- Material Requisition
- Sourcing
- Relationship with Vendors (visit, tours)
- Accounting Codes
- Receiving Policies
- Management Practices
- Leadership Training
- Case Studies
- Problem Solving
- Employee Relations
- Employee Development
- Safety Training
- Mission, Vision, Values
- Management Information Systems
- Job Status Financial Tracking
- Best Practices Emphasis
- Shop Operations
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- Equipment Maintenance
- Equipment and Vehicle Repair
- Laws and Regulations
- Scheduling
- Fuel Management
Qualifications
- Students must be enrolled in or have just graduated from a horticulture-related 2- or 4-year program with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better.
- Students must provide a current resume and one (1) letter of recommendation from professors or employers.
- Students must write a letter of intent stating what he or she hopes to accomplish from the internship.
- Transcript with course descriptions.
- Must have excellent communication skills; self-motivated; team-oriented; hard-working; attention to detail.
- Sincere interest in landscaping and lawn care.
- Valid driver's license.
- Good physical stamina -- able to lift 50+ lbs.
- Competent in the use of landscape equipment.
Hours
- Daily weekday hours are 6:00 am to 5:30 pm.
- Some weekend hours may be required.
Compensation
- Salary
- The salary is $8.50 per hour.
- Paychecks are distributed every week. The pay period starts on a Friday and ends on a Thursday.
- There are payroll deductions. The company is required to make a deduction from each paycheck for your contributions to federal, state and local governments. Another deduction is for your Social Security.
- Housing
- If needed, housing will be provided by the company for $65 per week in one of its rental apartments in Painters Mill Apartments development. The student may share housing with 2-3 other employees. Electricity and furnishings are provided.
- Transportation
- If needed, transportation to and from work will be provided by the company.
- Public transportation service is available close to Painters Mill Apartments for personal transportation.
- Benefits
- Uniforms will be provided by the company for $150. The student will receive 5 shirts, 1 baseball-type hat, 1 hooded sweatshirt, 1 knife and sheath, 1 pair pruners and sheath, rain gear. Other parts of the necessary uniforms worn daily must be provided by the student (leather-top work boots, khaki work pants).
- Field Trips: Occasional weekend trips will be taken by the student and his or her company advisor(s) to places of horticultural interest, such as the National Arboretum, the company's vendors, and other sites to be determined.
Professor/Instructor Visit
- The company will sponsor one visit from a professor during the course of the internship. This will provide the professor with a first-person account of the working environment.
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