Vineyard Apprentice
Rudson Vineyard
HAYWARDS HEATH (RH17 7NP)
Closes in 22 days (Friday 29 August 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 7 August 2025
Contents
Summary
We are a family owner vineyard located High Weald. Our 10 acre vineyard was planted in 2023 are we are excited for our first harvest this year. Our apprentice will support the vineyard manager to develop the potential of our site and provide healthy grapes to our winery. This will provide a solid foundation for development in skills and knowledge.
- Wage
-
£11,778 to £19,047.60, depending on your age
National Minimum Wage
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
After a year in the vineyard, your salary will increase to the Real Living Wage.
- Training course
- Crop technician (level 3)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 3.00pm. Our vineyard manager works flexible hours to meet the demands of the vineyard, weather and seasons. We would expect the apprentice to have some flexibility also, but within this total time commitment.
30 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 8 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 will vary, but will include:
- Pruning
- Shoot selection
- Tying down
- Bud rubbing
- Canopy maintenance
- Mowing
- Weed control
- Harvesting
- General maintenance in support of vineyard manager
Where you'll work
BACONS FARM
SLOOP LANE
SCAYNES HILL
HAYWARDS HEATH
RH17 7NP
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
Crop Technician Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard:
- 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
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
We operate in a semi-rural location so having access to your own transport is highly recommended.
About this employer
Rudson Vineyard is part of a 60-acre estate located at Freshfield, a hamlet 1.5 miles north-east of Scaynes Hill. The estate comprises a family house with 3 acres of grounds, the vineyard (Rudson) on 13 acres and parkland, woodland and pasture totalling approximately 44 acres.
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
- The career progression for the qualified apprentice to be involved in all aspects of this wine business, from growing grapes, to making wine, to presenting our wonderful product to customers
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
PLUMPTON COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000336181.
Apply now
Closes in 22 days (Friday 29 August 2025 at 11:59pm)
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