Blog Archives

Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association (RINLA)

RINLA is an industry organization helping businesses and employers across agriculture and plant based industry in Rhode Island. They have recently launched a registered apprenticeship program with their member employers. RINLA offers several trainings to help prepare young professionals.

Industry focus: Plant-based careers (landscape maintenance, nursery, plant production, etc.)

Location: West Kingston, RI (training sites vary)

Phone: 401-874-5220 Email: workforce@rinla.org Website: https:/rinla.org

Trainings: Winter Intensive Training: Workers who are already Registered Apprentices work with their employers to decide if the Winter Intensive training is the right training for them. The training starts in February and includes classroom and hands-on instruction.

RI Certified Horticultural (RICH) training is held in the evenings, twice a week for 6 weeks at URI East Farm in Kingston.

Fees: The Winter Intensive training is currently free to apprentices. There is a fee for the RI Certified Horticultural training.

Application: Sign up online for RICH training at: https://rinla.org/register-for-rich-training/. Email or call RINLA for more information about the Winter Intensive training and apprenticeship.

Entry requirements:

Other services: Assistance in job placement and matching individuals with companies that have a registered apprenticeship program within their companies.

Groundwork Rhode Island (GWRI)

Groundwork RI is a community-based environmental organization working to create healthier and physically improved urban environments in RI communities. They offer job training as well as run a landscaping business.

Industry Focus: Environmental sector (for example brownfield remediation, lead and asbestos abatement, stormwater management, sustainable landscaping, and urban land restoration)

Location: 1005 Main Street, Suite #1223, Pawtucket, RI 02860

Phone: 401-305-7174 Email: arose@groundworkri.org Website: https://groundworkri.org

Training: 8-week training introduces trainees to career pathways in environmental sector and sustainable communities through hands-on training and certification programs. Training is in the spring (March – May) and fall (September – November), Monday – Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm.

Certificates: OSHA 10, OSHA 40 (HAZWOPER), 8-hour Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP), 40-hour Asbestos Worker or Supervisor, with additional curriculum in Wastewater Treatment, Indoor Air Quality, Stormwater Management, Composting, and Brownfields Remediation

Application: Apply online at https://goo.gl/KogTUY

Fees: Free

Other services: On a case-by-case basis, Groundwork RI can pay for further environmental sector trainings for individual graduates of the program, based on that student’s interest. They occasionally are able to hire additional graduates of the training program for GroundCorp, their landscape design, installation, and maintenance business, and Harvest Cycle, their residential food scrap collection and composting service.