Apprentice Vineyard Assistant
WAREHORNE VINEYARD LIMITED
ASHFORD (TN26 2JT)
Closes in 16 days (Monday 18 August 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 1 August 2025
Contents
Summary
We are a small family-run vineyard looking for an enthusiastic individual to join us as our Apprentice Vineyard Assistant. We are dedicated to growing English grapes and producing still, high quality wines. With around 25,000 vines, you would gain a great opportunity to understand how a vineyard operates and learn from a passionate team.
- Wage
-
£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Crop technician (level 3)
- Hours
-
Tuesday to Saturday, 08:00am to 17:00pm. Some overtime will be needed at harvest times.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Tuesday 2 September 2025
- Duration
-
2 years
- 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
Day to day tasks in the vineyard will vary but will include:
- Vine pruning, tucking in, canopy management, leaf thinning, harvesting
- Vineyard maintanence
- Vineyard tours to visitors
- Supervision of seasonal contract workers
Where you'll work
WAREHORNE OAST
WAREHORNE ROAD
WAREHORNE
ASHFORD
TN26 2JT
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
PLUMPTON COLLEGE
Training course
Crop technician (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Identify and mitigate risks to promote and maintain health, safety and security. (Core)
- Manage accurate paper or digital records within the workplace. (Core)
- Maintain and operate machinery and equipment in accordance with manufacturer operating instructions. (Core)
- Maximise economic sustainability by optimising plant growth when carrying out operations. (Core)
- Establish crops to ensure efficient and sustainable growth. (Core)
- Operate vehicles in accordance with manufacturer operating instructions. (Core)
- Control pests, weeds and diseases using integrated pest management. (Core)
- Apply and store pest management treatments in accordance with standard operating procedures, legislation and regulations. (Core)
- Carry out plant nutrient application or irrigation tasks required by the crop. (Core)
- Carry out harvesting and dispatch operations. (Core)
- Assess and monitor crops for quality, performance and specification requirements. (Core)
- Select harvesting techniques taking account of crop condition and quality requirements. (Core)
- Maintain biosecurity and hygiene practices in line with legislation, regulations and organisational requirements. (Core)
- Keep harvested crops in suitable conditions to maintain quality. (Core)
- Maintain soils or substrates to ensure sustainable, efficient and healthy growth. (Core)
- Sample and evaluate soil or substrate health to determine nutrition requirements. (Core)
- Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures relevant to own role. (Core)
- Participate in learning and CPD activities. (Core)
- Manage own time to achieve tasks to schedule. (Core)
- Consider different approaches to current working practices, identifying improvements, developments and innovative ideas. (Core)
- Set and monitor machinery performance to ensure good seed or plant establishment and crop growth. (Soil based)
- Set machinery and equipment taking into account the crop, environment, soil condition and specification requirements. (Soil based)
- Maintain non-productive areas. (Soil based)
- Assess the impact of machinery on soil structure and identify potential damage in accordance with legislation. (Soil based)
- Optimise growth conditions for crops, based on the specific needs of the plant relative to the environment. (Container based)
- Maintain productive and non-productive areas. (Container based)
- Plan for and carry out the removal of waste materials following harvest or dispatch. (Container based)
- Evaluate and select different growing mediums taking into account site conditions and production requirements. (Container based)
- Identify and mitigate risks to promote and maintain health, safety and security. (Core)
- Manage accurate paper or digital records within the workplace. (Core)
- Maintain and operate machinery and equipment in accordance with manufacturer operating instructions. (Core)
- Maximise economic sustainability by optimising plant growth when carrying out operations. (Core)
- Establish crops to ensure efficient and sustainable growth. (Core)
- Operate vehicles in accordance with manufacturer operating instructions. (Core)
- Control pests, weeds and diseases using integrated pest management. (Core)
- Apply and store pest management treatments in accordance with standard operating procedures, legislation and regulations. (Core)
- Carry out plant nutrient application or irrigation tasks required by the crop. (Core)
- Carry out harvesting and dispatch operations. (Core)
- Assess and monitor crops for quality, performance and specification requirements. (Core)
- Select harvesting techniques taking account of crop condition and quality requirements. (Core)
- Maintain biosecurity and hygiene practices in line with legislation, regulations and organisational requirements. (Core)
- Keep harvested crops in suitable conditions to maintain quality. (Core)
- Maintain soils or substrates to ensure sustainable, efficient and healthy growth. (Core)
- Sample and evaluate soil or substrate health to determine nutrition requirements. (Core)
- Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures relevant to own role. (Core)
- Participate in learning and CPD activities. (Core)
- Manage own time to achieve tasks to schedule. (Core)
- Consider different approaches to current working practices, identifying improvements, developments and innovative ideas. (Core)
Training schedule
- Training will occur in 10 weekly blocks of teaching split between the Plumpton College main campus and the College’s Rock Lodge Vineyard
- The block attended shall be for a full 5 day a week, with class sessions over 5 separate weeks
- The course with be conducted at Plumpton College
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4)
- Maths (grade 4)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
Our vineyard is located in a rural location, so having your own transport is highly recommended.
About this employer
Warehorne Vineyard is a family-run vineyard dedicated to growing exceptional English grapes and producing quality still wines, including English Red Wine. Founded in 2020, situated in the village of Warehorne and is spread across 10.2 hectares, the vineyard has become a place where tradition, craftsmanship, and nature come together to create something truly special in the Kentish Countryside. We grow Pinot Noir, Divico, Cabernet Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Gris.
After this apprenticeship
- Upon successful completion of the two year apprenticeship the apprentice will be offered a position of Vineyard Assistant or Cellar Assistant
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
PLUMPTON COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000335222.
Apply now
Closes in 16 days (Monday 18 August 2025 at 11:59pm)
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