General Farm Worker - Livestock Level 2 Apprenticeship
T W Vickers
TOW LAW (DL13 4PA)
Closes in 29 days (Wednesday 3 September 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 4 August 2025
Contents
Summary
A general farm worker apprenticeship opportunity on an upland and hill livestock farm in Co. Durham. Duties will include assisting with all aspects of animal husbandry with an upland and hill sheep flock and a suckler beef herd. The role will also include operating farm vehicles with training provided.
- Wage
-
£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- General farm worker (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 15 September 2025
- Duration
-
1 year 3 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
- Feeding sheep and cattle
- Lambing and calving
- Silage/hay making
- Walling and farm maintenance
- Working with pedigree and commercial livestock
- Working with environmental schemes
Where you'll work
THORNLEY HALL FARM
OAKLEA
THORNLEY
TOW LAW
DL13 4PA
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE
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.
Training schedule
Work based with 1 day per fortnight college training provided by Myerscough College at Hexham Auction Mart.
Requirements
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Team working
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
Must have a minimum of 4 GCSEs at Grade E/2 or above including maths & English or a vocational qualification Level 1 plus GCSE maths & English grade E/2 or higher. N.B. English & maths Functional Skills Level 1 will be accepted as an alternative to GCSE's.
About this employer
Family run upland and hill livestock farm in the Durham Dales farming pedigree Swaledale and BFL flocks, breeding pedigree and commercial sheep alongside a pedigree suckler cow herd.
After this apprenticeship
Progression to Level 3 or continuing to work in agriculture as a general farm worker
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
T W Vickers
Thomas Vickers
vickersoaklea@aol.com
07572617855
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000335407.
Apply now
Closes in 29 days (Wednesday 3 September 2025 at 11:59pm)
Sign in with your GOV.UK One Login to apply.