Horticultural/Agricultural Apprentice
HAYLES FRUIT FARM LTD
GLOS (GL54 5PB)
Closes on Friday 29 August 2025
Posted on 19 June 2025
Contents
Summary
Hayles Fruit Farm are looking for an apprentice to join their team. If you have an interest in growing and a desire to learn more about fruit we’d love to hear from you!
- 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
-
An average of 40 hours per week spread over 5 days (excluding
Sunday)
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 1 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
Responsibilities will include (but not be limited to):
Assisting with all day to day tasks involved in running a
busy fruit farm
Help with all fruit growing activities including:
- Pruning
- Planting
- Irrigation
- Spraying (when qualified)
- Harvesting
- General farm and machinery maintenance
- Operating farm machinery – tractors/forklift/mower
- Record keeping
- Juice/Cider production during winter months
Where you'll work
WINCHCOMBE
CHELTENHAM
GLOS
GL54 5PB
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
College or training organisation
WARWICKSHIRE COLLEGE
Your 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)
Your training plan
- Pershore College
- Learning: Level 3 Crop Technician Apprenticeship
- GCSE maths and English if required
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Maths & English (grade 3/D+)Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
Maths & English (grade C/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
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Number skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Patience
- Physical fitness
- Reliability and Punctuality
Other requirements
Due to our location own transport is preferable. This is a physical role with the majority of time being spent outside. Due to the volume of applications WCG receives if you are not selected for an interview, you may not receive a response to your application.
About this company
Hayles Fruit Farm is a 100 acre farm based in the Cotswolds growing a range from top and soft fruit including apples, pears, plums, strawberries, raspberries, tayberries and gooseberries. Diversification over the years has seen the addition of a Farmshop, Outdoor Shop, Café, PYO and Campsite.
After this apprenticeship
- A full time position may be available on completion of a successful apprenticeship
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
WARWICKSHIRE COLLEGE
SARAH ASHMORE
sashmore@warwickshire.ac.uk
07740419319
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000327213.
Apply now
Closes on Friday 29 August 2025
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