Q&A with Primary ITO graduate Jacob Sced
19 August 2026
Congratulations to Jacob Sced from Longridge Country Estate in Paeroa, who recently completed his New Zealand Apprenticeship in Landscape Construction (Level 4).
Jacob (right), presented with his certificate alongside employer Matt and Training Adviser, Barb Cahalane
This is what Jacob had to say about how he got started in the industry and his experience of training with Primary ITO:
How did you get started in the industry?
“I started in the industry as a favour to our old site manager, who needed someone handy who could fix some fences that his onsite landscapers had built. I ended up never leaving. I started off doing all timber works on site and slowly learnt about everything else a landscaper would need to be successful (plants, mulch, concrete etc).”
Why did you want to get qualified through Primary ITO?
“I decided that seeing as I had become a full-time landscaper, I may as well work towards becoming a qualified one.
“I had worked in several trades since leaving high school but never pursued an apprenticeship. I found landscaping to be a great fit for me personally. As a bonus, all the skills I had learnt previously transferred over naturally.”
How did you find the apprenticeship training?
“I breezed through Level 3 and have gone on to complete my Level 4 Landscape Construction apprenticeship this year.
“I am now in one of the head landscaping positions at Longridge Country Estate and loving it.”
Jacob working on a driveway at Longridge Country Estate
How did you find the bookwork side of it?
“Many people looking at starting an apprenticeship will be like me and find the amount of paperwork daunting. I want to assure you that if you put in the time and effort each week, your time will fly by, and you’ll have that certificate in your hand before you know it.
“It really does become easier as you work your way through the books, especially as you’re learning more about the industry as you go. Personally, I found the books quite rewarding to fill out and got a great sense of achievement with each one I completed. Most of the modules are enjoyable and interesting to work through.”
How important was the support from both your employer and Primary ITO Training Adviser?
“I had two Training Advisers through my apprenticeship - George Doig at Level 3 and Barb Cahalane at Level 4. Both were super friendly and easy to work with. They both helped me when I needed it - if I got stuck on specific tasks or if I didn’t understand some of the questions or the wording of the questions. They visited me on site as I needed them to, pushed me along when I needed it and made my time studying enjoyable.
“I would also like to shout out my manager Matt - without his support and verifying all my work this would have been impossible.
“Also, a big thank you to Mark Orr from Primary ITO, who helped me out a lot whenever I needed clarification on anything in any of the modules. I always looked forward to site visits from George, Barb and Mark. Cheers, you’re legends!”
How has the apprenticeship training helped you on the job?
“The knowledge I’ve gained throughout my time studying is invaluable. I can’t believe how much I know about plants and turf. I can wholeheartedly say this is the best thing I’ve done for my career, and I would suggest to anybody in the industry to take the leap and sign up!”
If you, or a member of your team is interested in finding out more about our landscaping training, please visit: www.primaryito.ac.nz/landscaping