Horticulture: Nursery and Greenhouse Certificate of Achievement
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill, CA
- Cost
- $2,180
- Length
- 32 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names and program descriptions appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Occupation titles are translated where O*NET publishes a Spanish name. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
No outcomes reported for this program
About a third of California programs report nothing. That is a fact about the program's reporting, not evidence that it works or does not.
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Shrinking -2.5%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Related work California expects more of
The U.S. Department of Labor lists these as related to the job above, and California projects growth in them rather than decline. Related is not the same as interchangeable: the training, the licenses and the pay can all differ, and this program does not train for these. It is a place to start asking, not a recommendation.
- Industrial Production Managers$134,845 · +0.8% · 7 programs here
- Soil and Plant Scientists$94,503 · +4.8% · 4 programs here
- Agricultural Equipment Operators$39,872 · +7.4% · 3 programs here
- Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation$46,212 · +3.6% · 3 programs here
- First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers$57,805 · +3.3% · 3 programs here
- Agricultural Technicians$62,009 · +5.9% · No programs here train for it
Where California publishes a separate figure for Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
Job ads may call this: Farm Manager · Ranch Manager · Nursery Manager · Hatchery Manager
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Collect and record growth, production, and environmental data.
- Manage nurseries that grow horticultural plants for sale to trade or retail customers, for display or exhibition, or for research.
- Direct and monitor trapping and spawning of fish, egg incubation, and fry rearing, applying knowledge of management and fish culturing techniques.
- Direct and monitor the transfer of mature fish to lakes, ponds, streams, or commercial tanks.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Determine how to allocate resources and to respond to unanticipated problems, such as insect infestation, drought, and fire.
- Determine plant growing conditions, such as greenhouses, hydroponics, or natural settings, and set planting and care schedules.
- Devise and participate in activities to improve fish hatching and growth rates, and to prevent disease in hatcheries.
- Prepare reports required by state and federal laws.
What this pays in Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $63,181 | $113,336 | $188,980 |
| Across California | $75,028 | $110,971 | $177,743 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $110,971per yearOakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: $117,180
- Projected openings
- 89,600Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,180
- Projected change
- -2.5%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- 5 years or more in a related job
- Training after you are hired
- None
Most people hired for this job have already spent 5 years or more in a related one. Finishing this program may not be enough on its own. Ask the provider who hires their graduates, and what those people did before.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Gardener · Greenskeeper · Groundskeeper · Grounds Person
- Gather and remove litter.
- Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes.
- Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
- Water lawns, trees, or plants, using portable sprinkler systems, hoses, or watering cans.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.
- Mix and spray or spread fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or trees, using hand or automatic sprayers or spreaders.
- Use irrigation methods to adjust the amount of water consumption and to prevent waste.
- Provide proper upkeep of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, fountains, planters, burial sites, or other grounds features.
What this pays in Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $41,054 | $49,069 | $78,516 |
| Across California | $37,712 | $46,714 | $62,750 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $46,714per yearOakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: $49,005
- Projected openings
- 182,080Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 12,060
- Projected change
- +5.8%
- Usually needs
- No formal educational credential
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- Under a month
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Farmer · Grower · Picker · Gardener
- Sell and deliver plants and flowers to customers.
- Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields, or costs.
- Direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting.
- Participate in the inspection, grading, sorting, storage, and post-harvest treatment of crops.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them.
- Regulate greenhouse conditions, and indoor and outdoor irrigation systems.
- Feel plants' leaves and note their coloring to detect the presence of insects or disease.
- Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment.
What this pays in Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $39,955 | $44,952 | $59,365 |
| Across California | $35,250 | $36,544 | $46,086 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $36,544per yearOakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: $45,115
- Projected openings
- 373,450Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,380
- Projected change
- -2.1%
- Usually needs
- No formal educational credential
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- Under a month
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
Program details
This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.
This certificate program equips students with the skills needed for careers in the local nursery industry. Topics include plant identification, propagation, labeling, sales, marketing, and nursery management. The program combines lectures, laboratory work, and hands-on experience.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-09-18). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
Ask before you enroll, not after
The order the rules set out starts at the center rather than at the school. Before a center can find somebody eligible for training services it has to gather enough to decide, at a minimum through an interview, evaluation or assessment and career planning. Referring a person to the provider they have chosen and setting up the account both come after that, and both are the center's to do — the account is a payment agreement with the training provider, and it is the provider that is paid through it. So the call belongs before enrolling and before paying. Anyone who has already done either should still ask, and ask what it means for them.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
Concord America`s Job Center of California / East Bay WorksComprehensive center
Phone: 925-671-4500
4071 Port Chicago HighwaySuite 250Concord, CA 94520about 5.1 miles away
Hours: M-F 8:30 am-5:00 pm
Has a veterans' representative
East Oakland Neighborhood Career CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 510-568-8349
7200 Bancroft AvenueSuite 140Oakland, CA 94605about 13.9 miles away
Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Unity Council Career & Resource CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 510-535-6101
1900 Fruitvale AvenueOakland, CA 94601about 14.2 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
At a comprehensive center all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →