General Farm Worker Apprentice

DAVID AND VALERIE PENNINGTON

CREDITON, EX17 5DH

Closes in 11 days (Monday 30 September at 11:59pm)

Posted on 6 September 2024

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Summary

David and Valerie Pennington of Horwell Barton are pleased to be offering an opportunity for a motivated individual to join them as an Apprentice General Farm Worker. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain industry knowledge and experience, while developing new skills helping with the high welfare pig and beef units, and seasonal crop work.

Annual wage
£13,312 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

£6.40 per hour

Training course
General farm worker (level 2)
Hours
Exact shifts tbc.

40 hours a week

Possible start date

Monday 14 October

Duration

1 Year 6 Months

Positions available

1

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

The successful candidate would get involved with most aspects of the farm, the main duties being:

  • The day to day running of a high welfare, straw based pig wean to finish unit
  • Seasonal work to include help with the farms arable cropping of maize, wheat and barley
  • Crop walking with the agronomist
  • Help implement the farms recent new Mid Tier Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive applications including growing cover crops, herbal leys and winter bird food
  • Help with capital items approved from the Countryside Stewardship including fencing, new gates, water pipes, drinking troughs and other items to improve the farm
  • Maintenance of farm machinery including tractors, combine and forage harvesters
  • Help with a small but expanding beef unit to utilise herbal leys
  • Option to run a store lamb enterprise if the candidate wishes

Where you’ll work

HORWELL BARTON

COLEBROOKE

CREDITON

EX17 5DH

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

CORNWALL COLLEGE

Your training course

General farm worker (level 2)

Equal to GCSE

Course contents
  • Identify hazards and risks in the workplace, prepare risk assessments and demonstrate high level of health and safety awareness at all times.
  • Maintain the correct hygiene and bio-security procedures for the site, in accordance with relevant legal requirements
  • Check that animal welfare needs related to their environment and housing are maintained, including manure management, ensuring the suitability of indoor and outdoor environment and bedding up of animals
  • Assist with safe restraint, moving and handling of livestock.
  • Legally operate a farm vehicle and each attachment according to health and safety requirements. For example, tractors and ATVs along with other vehicles integral to the business.
  • Demonstrate good environmental practice in the workplace, in accordance with environmental assessment plans and associated legal requirements
  • Assist with post-harvest activities to meet crop and forage specifications, in a safe and environmentally acceptable way
  • Carry out maintenance of farm infrastructure (including housing for livestock, boundaries and electric or non-electric fences), machinery and equipment, as instructed
  • Complete manual and electronic records in accordance with legislation and the business processes.
  • Monitor and maintain health & welfare of livestock and assist with treatments when appropriate.
  • Monitor the quantity and quality of grass and forage crops and report findings to appropriate person.
  • Provide feed and water to livestock as instructed and report any issues to appropriate person
  • Assist with caring for livestock during the reproductive cycle, from service to weaning. For example, identify signs of heat.
  • Produce products for sale from the business (for example, milking, shearing, lambing, harvesting)
  • Assist with the preparation of the ground, including identification of soil condition through soil sampling and preparing crop for planting
  • Load, unload and complete paperwork for transportation of resources manually and using loading equipment, according to instruction
  • Monitor the growth and development of crops in line with customer specification, as instructed
  • Identify hazards and risks in the workplace, prepare risk assessments and demonstrate high level of health and safety awareness at all times.
  • Maintain the correct hygiene and bio-security procedures for the site, in accordance with relevant legal requirements
  • Check that animal welfare needs related to their environment and housing are maintained, including manure management, ensuring the suitability of indoor and outdoor environment and bedding up of animals
  • Assist with safe restraint, moving and handling of livestock.
  • Legally operate a farm vehicle and each attachment according to health and safety requirements. For example, tractors and ATVs along with other vehicles integral to the business.
  • Demonstrate good environmental practice in the workplace, in accordance with environmental assessment plans and associated legal requirements
  • Assist with post-harvest activities to meet crop and forage specifications, in a safe and environmentally acceptable way
  • Carry out maintenance of farm infrastructure (including housing for livestock, boundaries and electric or non-electric fences), machinery and equipment, as instructed
  • Complete manual and electronic records in accordance with legislation and the business processes.

    • Your training plan

    • You will be working towards a Level 2 General Farm Worker Apprenticeship Standard
    • You will receive on and off the job training and support from an assessor and an apprenticeship advisor
    • You will be required to attend Bicton on 2 days on alternate weeks basis as part of the apprenticeship training

    Mandatory qualifications included in this apprenticeship are:

    • Award in Emergency First Aid at Work, which is a minimum of 1-day course (Ofqual regulated)
    • City & Guilds Principles of Safe Handling and Application of Pesticides Guidance or Lantra Safe use of Pesticides

    Requirements

    Essential qualifications

    GCSE or equivalent in:

    • English (grade 3/D)
    • maths (grade 3/D)

    Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

    Skills

    • Communication skills
    • Attention to detail
    • Problem solving skills
    • Team working
    • Patience

    Other requirements

    The farm is set in a beautiful rural setting so you would need to be able to get to and from the farm without relying on public transport.

    About this company

    Horwell Barton runs a pig finishing unit, otherwise known as a 'Bed and Breakfast' contract. They receive up to 3500 4 week old piglets and then finish them up to 20 weeks. They also have a small number of beef cattle as well as approximately 200 acres. This is a family run business which has been running in this format for the last 7 years.

    After this apprenticeship

    • The farm would like to train to keep the right candidate and support them through Level 3 Livestock Unit Technician apprenticeship if this is their choice

    Ask a question

    The contact for this apprenticeship is:

    CORNWALL COLLEGE

    Liz

    01209 617826

    The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000275357.

    Apply now

    Closes in 11 days (Monday 30 September at 11:59pm)

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