Livestock Apprentice
Harper Adams Universtiy
Shropshire (TF10 8NB)
Closes in 19 days (Friday 6 June 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 16 May 2025
Contents
Summary
As Livestock Apprentice you have a vital role in supporting the day-to-day operations of a farm, ensuring the welfare of livestock, maintaining site infrastructure, and upholding standards. This practical role involves working across a range of farming activities. This is a role working on the Harper Adams University Farm, within their Pig Unit.
- Wage
-
£18,566.60 a year
- Training course
- General farm worker (level 2)
- Hours
-
5 days per week with some weekend work. Exact hours to be confirmed with the employer.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 1 September 2025
- Duration
-
1 year 9 months
- Positions available
-
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
• 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
• 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
• 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
Where you'll work
Harper Adams University
Edgmond
Newport
Shropshire
TF10 8NB
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
College or training organisation
HEREFORDSHIRE, LUDLOW, AND NORTH SHROPSHIRE COLLEGE
Your training course
General farm worker (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
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
A full comprehensive Farm Induction and any formal training required for the operation of specific equipment or facilities will be delivered by the employer.
The apprenticeship standard will be completed within the workplace. The off the job training requirement will be completed during the working week, away from the apprentice's normal role for an opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours required.
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
English and Maths (grade 4)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
- Team working
- Reliable
- Able to prioritise work load
- Farming experience (desirable)
- Strong work ethic
Other requirements
This role involves working with livestock in our award-winning pig unit. It involves outdoor work in all weather, and the work is physical. Whilst not serviced by public transport, we have plenty of free car parking.
About this company
Harper Adams University is the UK’s premier educational institution serving the agri-food, animal wellbeing and connected industries, recognised as a world-leading specialist provider. Our focus is on food production and technology, animal health and wellbeing, management of land and property, and their contribution to sustainable living environments for our planet’s population; we are equally committed to making the UK’s food and farming competitive in a world where we will need to compete globally. We are a friendly, talented community of more than 600 employees, working to ensure that everyone on the planet has access to food, and that this is achieved sustainably. Our work contributes to planetary health, animal health and wellbeing, and ultimately how this contributes to human health.
Company benefits
Generous holiday entitlement On campus facilities Employee Assistance Programme Disability Confident Employer Enhanced maternity benefits Enhanced sickness absence payments Cycle scheme supporter Workwear provided (if applicable)
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
Harper Adams operates a large commercial and research farm and so there are good prospects for permanent employment on successful completion of the apprenticeship. We will provide or arrange any training that would support the apprenticeship and success in the role.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
HEREFORDSHIRE, LUDLOW, AND NORTH SHROPSHIRE COLLEGE
County Training
enquiries@countytraining.ac.uk
03456789023
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000321085.
Apply now
Closes in 19 days (Friday 6 June 2025 at 11:59pm)
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