Farmer apprenticeships - where to start
You can get into this job through
a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
University
You could take a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:
agriculture, land management, farm business management or crop and livestock production. Courses and qualifications are available through agricultural colleges as well as universities.
You'll usually need 1 or 2 A-Levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma. 2 to 3 A-Levels, or the equivalent, are needed for a degree.
College
You could start your career in farming by doing a course at agricultural college like a Level 2 Certificate in Land-based Activities or a Level 3 Diploma in Agriculture. This would teach you some of the skills and knowledge needed in this job.
You'll usually need 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), for a Level 2 course. You'll need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a Level 3 course.
Apprenticeship
You could get farming experience through Apprenticeships relevant to this role like a Level 2 Stockperson, a Level 2 Poultry worker, a Level 3 Poultry technician or a Level 3 Crop technician apprenticeship role.
You'll usually need some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for a Level 2 (intermediate) apprenticeship. You'll need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for a Level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship.
Work
You can get valuable experience and move into farm management by working as a supervisor, dairy or arable unit manager, or assistant manager.
You could also take qualifications on the job like the Level 4 Certificate in Work-based Agricultural Management.
Farmer apprenticeships - what it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to work well with others
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work on your own
physical skills like movement, coordination and dexterity
- excellent verbal communication skills
- thinking and reasoning skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Farmer apprenticeships - what you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day tasks will depend on whether you work with animals (livestock), farming
crops (arable farming) or a mixture of the two. Typically you will:
- plan how the farm will run
- set budget and production targets
- make sure the farm follows health and safety standards and farming regulations
- do practical tasks like feeding and checking the health of livestock, fertilising or harvesting crops or maintaining farm equipment
- buy and sell animals or produce
- keep financial and stock records
- recruit, train and supervise farm workers
Working environment
You could work on a farm or in an office.
Your working environment may be physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Career path and progression - Farmer apprenticeships
With experience, you could move into related areas, like agricultural advisory work for government bodies, consultancy or training.