Start Date
- September 2023, Apprenticeship
Summary
The Agriculture, Food and Drink sector within Norfolk and Suffolk has a workforce of 79,900 and 8300 enterprises. Thanks to the growing world population, which is expected to hit 10 billion by 2050, there is more demand than ever on farmers to produce food, while there are new business opportunities growing in energy production, carbon capture and environmental management.
The intent of this course is to benefit apprentices by supporting them to gain recognised skills that meet the needs of the Agricultural Sector. It is also to benefit employers and the wider sector by providing highly skilled and versatile employees who can work as part of a team.
This apprenticeship is delivered from our Easton Campus and the course typical length is 24 months.
Entry Requirements
- GCSE Grade 3/D in Maths and English (Language or Literature) or Level 1 Functional Skills in Maths and English
- In order to enrol onto an apprenticeship, you must be employed in a relevant job role and undertake a range of tasks which would enable you to complete the qualification.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, learners will be awarded with a Level 2 General farm worker Apprenticeship Standard, which includes:
- Level 2 Award in the Safe Use of Pesticides
- Award in Emergency First Aid at Work
- If not previously achieved, Level 2 in English & Maths
Objective
The course starts by supporting learners in a General Farm Worker role to gain a foundation of basic skills that extends across the General Farm Worker Standard - maintaining a culture of health and safety, biosecurity, engaging with third parties, animal health and welfare, maintenance and cleanliness of machinery, maintaining crop and recording keeping.
As the course progresses, skills become more advanced as knowledge and independent learning are introduced. Input from the Agricultural sector has indicated that the development of professional behaviours is an essential requirement for working in a farm team and will underpin all college learning.
Assessment
The apprentice will be ready for End Point Assessment which includes:
Knowledge Test: assessed by an End Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO), this test will consist of multiple-choice questions on a computer-based platform.
Practical assessment: assessed over 1 day by an Independent End Point Assessor (IEPA), which is planned in advance.
Professional Discussion: assessed by an IEPA, to confirm the learners understanding and to obtain further evidence of knowledge. It will extend and amplify the ability demonstrated in the Practical assessment.
Progression
The impact of this course should support a learner’s progression which may include:
- Continuation, development or promotion at work or within this sector.
- The skills to further develop a specialism, such as Livestock or Crop specialisms.
- A learner may choose further study as a Level 3 Livestock Technician or L3 Crop Technician once in an appropriate job role to further their career.
Career Progression
The successful completion of this course should provide the employer and wider sector with a skilled staff member able to work within a farm team.
Fees
Apprenticeship course fees are subject to the age of the apprentice, and the size of the company
For employer’s with less than 50 employees who do not pay the apprenticeship levy and who take on an apprentice who is aged between 16-18 at the start of their apprenticeship, there will be no direct cost and the full training costs will be covered by Government funding. If the apprentice is aged 19+ the government partially subsides the training costs and the employer will need to pay 5% of the costs. In the case of this course, the fee would be £250.
For an employer with more than 50 employees a 5% charge will be implemented regardless of the age of the apprentice which in this case would be £250.
A levy paying company will pay the full cost of the apprenticeship from their levy account which in this case would amount to £5,000.
Please note that course fees are to be paid by the employer and apprentices cannot be asked to make a financial contribution toward their training.
To discuss apprenticeship course fees in more detail or for more information on recruiting an apprentice, please contact 01603 773365 or apprenticeships@ccn.ac.uk.
