Australia’s landscaping industry is diverse and complex. This isn’t fully captured in any national system, making it difficult for industry to access workforce development support.
Industry stakeholders have raised concerns about access to suitable training, formal recognition, jurisdictional variation, and poor alignment between qualifications, regulation and real-world practice.
Skills Insight and state landscaping associations are leading this project to identify and map landscaping job titles, roles, skills and knowledge at a national level. This will create a clearer picture of the industry, the capabilities it needs, and the career pathways it can offer.
The project will examine whether current landscape-related qualifications reflect contemporary and emerging expectations. It will also identify whether the diversity, skill levels and scope of contemporary landscaping practice are accurately reflected in national workforce and data systems.
Findings will inform future training and workforce development activities to ensure landscape careers are more visible and supported, and the industry can access the skilled workforce it needs.
Stakeholders around the country are being consulted on current job roles, skills needs and regulations to develop a holistic view of the industry.
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Opportunities for input
The Landscape Show
The project team will attend The Landscape Show on 27 May 2026 at Sandown Racecourse, Melbourne. You are invited to visit us at stall M14 to discuss the project and help build on the findings to date.
The Landscape
Association Expo
The project team will attend The Landscape Association Expo on 26 August 2026, at the Sydney Showgrounds (Olympic Park). More information will be made available closer to the date.
Skills Review questionnaire
You are still welcome to complete the Skills Review questionnaire to help us build a full and accurate picture of the industry. Responses will be collected until 17 June 2026.
Interim report
Stakeholder insights to date are currently being used to inform an interim report outlining consultations and findings. Once finalised, the report will be published on this page for review and feedback.
Consultations and findings to date
This project is being undertaken in consultation with state landscaping associations to ensure project outcomes consider the needs of different jurisdictions. The industry bodies guiding the project are:
Activities undertaken
The following consultations were undertaken to help identify job roles and skills needs across Australia:
- Five targeted workshops were held in collaboration with the industry associations, one per jurisdiction. Skills Insight would like to thank the associations for their assistance organising and hosting these events.
- Two online workshops were held for stakeholders around the country to learn about the project and contribute insights.
- An online questionnaire was used to collect detailed input from stakeholders and is still available to complete.
- The project team attended Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS) and connected with a variety of stakeholders ranging from new graduates to individuals who have been involved in the landscaping industry for years.
Summary of findings
Landscaping industry stakeholders consistently describe landscapers as designers and builders of the world external to buildings. Participants identified workforce and training challenges resulting from a lack of visibility and clarity around career pathways, occupational definitions and regulations.
Industry recognition and visibility
The industry is not well understood by the public and career options are not widely known. Industry described landscaping as technically complex work spanning residential, commercial and public realms – far broader than public perception. Landscaping is often misunderstood as ‘just gardening’, when in reality it requires competencies such as set‑out/levels, plan reading, materials knowledge, compliance, and project delivery.
Training delivery gaps
Employers across all five states consistently raised concerns that current qualifications fail to produce graduates capable of safe, autonomous practice, reporting inconsistent RTO delivery, outdated core/elective structures, and heavy reliance on employer-led on-the-job training to fill critical gaps. This universal pattern of qualifications not matching real work breadth creates an unfair employer training burden and compromises graduate readiness across design, construction and maintenance.
Workforce and skills shortages
Businesses report difficulty employing workers with the required skills. It is easier to source untrained young workers to train on the job. These recruits will often leave to start their own business once their apprenticeship is complete. Older people making a career change make up a large portion of new entrants. They are valued for their commitment and transferable skills, but the physical requirements can be challenging. Vocational educational training is strongly supported by stakeholders, who indicated that sound training is key to strengthening the industry.
Breadth of skills required
Landscaping bridges construction and horticulture, requiring individuals to have a sound knowledge of horticulture, soil science (for plant nutrition and soil stability), water management (for irrigation and drainage), and strong construction skills. These were repeatedly cited as foundational for safe and effective practice.
Pathway weakness and ‘qualification stacking’
Survey results indicate many workers hold multiple qualifications, with 76% of experienced respondents holding two or more qualifications. Four respondents held higher education qualifications as well as VET qualifications (Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Bachelor of Design, Master of Landscape Architecture and Bachelor of Environmental Science). This could suggest that pathways are unclear and training is not sufficiently structured, or this may be indicative of the fact that many landscapers have chosen landscaping as a second career. Stakeholders have voiced their desire for landscaping to become a first choice in career selection.
Future skills are an intensification, not a reinvention
The use of technology and climate awareness, including water availability, were identified as important skills and knowledge for the future. However, stakeholders were adamant this is not new, rather an amplification of current practices. The construction of green walls and knowledge of water movement are not new concepts in the landscaping industry, though it may be necessary to update the skills needed to maintain currency for these tasks in the future.
Jurisdictional differences matter
Regulatory and training settings vary significantly by state/territory, which can be challenging for trainers, industry professionals and employers to navigate. There is a need for nationally coherent and locally adaptable approaches.
Workforce attraction and retention constraints
Both the survey results and data collected during workshops suggests the barriers for attraction and retention include: low appetite for physical work, perceived pay limitations and limited awareness of career opportunities.
Occupational classification (OSCA) seen as inadequate
The two current OSCA titles directly associated with landscaping do not adequately describe the work undertaken by landscapers. Landscape Gardener and Landscape Designer were viewed as too narrow. This limits workforce visibility, data quality and pathway planning.
Project team
Susie Falk
Project Manager
Skills Insight
[email protected]
Tracey Woods
Stakeholder Engagement Manager
Skills Insight
[email protected]