This Apprenticeship offers a huge range of opportunities for working on livestock or arable farms. Farms vary enormously, from hill farms with a flock of sheep, to vast mechanised arable farms that may be growing crops for bio-fuel.

 As an apprentice, the nature of your work will depend on your employer. Working for a small company could mean you handle a wide range of responsibilities – alternatively, working for a large company might mean you take on a more specialised role.

On this Apprenticeship, you might learn skills like how to prepare and cultivate sites for planting crops; operate a tractor with attachments; harvest and store crops; and maintain equipment and machines. If your employer deals with livestock, you might learn how to look after herds, load and unload animals for transport, and assist during the breeding season.

On the Advanced Apprenticeship, you’ll learn more specialised skills like how to monitor crops or livestock and promote their growth. You could also learn how to apply pesticides and manage habitats. Most farm businesses are small, so you’ll find yourself playing an important role in a variety of tasks and developing plenty of useful skills along the way.

The following providers offer this specialism:

Bishop Burton College

This Apprenticeship is perfect for anyone wishing to work with animals. Many consider work in the animal care industry as one of the most fulfilling roles within the land-based sector, offering opportunities from work in large kennels and catteries to training guide dogs for the blind and dog handling within the armed forces.

Generally, work in this industry deals with the health, welfare, handling and supervision of small animals – whether that’s working in a zoo or wildlife park, or for the RSPCA. It’s a dedicated profession, as animals need to be looked after 365 days a year.

As an apprentice, you could find yourself working in many settings and with a range of different animals. You could be grooming dogs; looking after animals in a pet shop, kennel or cattery; assisting the breeding of pedigree animals; training guide dogs; or even taking care of exotic animals in a zoo or wildlife park. Your Apprenticeship will vary depending on your employer, but you could learn about health checking; basic animal training; transporting animals; feeding, watering and exercising animals; advising customers and owners; or maintaining a clean and safe working environment.

On the Advanced Level Apprenticeship it is likely that you will take on more of a specialised or supervisory role and be involved in planning various activities. Particular health and safety training may be required for different areas of work. No matter what type of animal you encounter on this Apprenticeship, they will all need the skilled attention of devoted and well-trained staff.

The following providers offer this specialism:

Bishop Burton College

This Apprenticeship covers roles that deal with the protection of rural and urban landscapes, plants and animals, and countryside. Environmental conservation covers a range of activities from recycling household waste to habitat management. While ‘green’ issues play an important role in conservation, it’s really about using scientific knowledge to achieve solutions that will provide a sustainable environment.

The scope of environmental conservation stretches from local issues (e.g. community recycling) to national ones (e.g. global warming).

As an Intermediate Level Apprentice, you’ll choose between four routes: environmental conservation; access and recreation; rivers, coasts and waterways/flood risk management; or dry stone walling. The nature of the work depends on your employer, but you could be surveying and reporting on the condition of an outdoor area; encouraging people to enjoy the environments around them; carrying out habitat management work; or monitoring a section of river prone to floods.

On the Advanced Level Apprenticeship, you’ll learn how to use environmental good practice at work, develop good working relations with community groups and others, and organise environmental projects. You might learn other advanced skills, like how to manage a team of volunteers, report on environmental change or produce site management plans. Upon completion of your training, you could work for a range of organisations from government departments to the voluntary sector.

The following providers offer this specialism:

Hull College

This Apprenticeship is suitable for those looking to work in the equine industry. It’s one of the most diverse industries within the land-based sector with opportunities for working in livery yards, riding schools, racing yards and training yards. Horses represent a major asset for their owners and need the skilled attention of devoted and well trained staff. While this Apprenticeship covers many specialisms, all deal with the welfare, supervision and riding of horses. Your training will focus on either general horse care or racehorse care, depending on your employer.

As an apprentice, you could find yourself in one of many job roles such as stable hand, groom, stud assistant or riding instructor. You’ll learn how to take care of horses, which will include everything from feeding and grooming through to exercising. There are plenty of roles away from the stables, too. For example, trek assistants who help organise riding groups and ensure everyone stays safe.

On the Advanced Level Apprenticeship, you’ll take on more responsibilities. You could be working towards becoming a trek leader, riding instructor or a performance rider.

The following providers offer this specialism:

Bishop Burton College

Gamekeepers work in the countryside looking after areas managed for shooting called beats or estates. They make sure that there is enough game on their shoots for shooting to take place. Game includes deer, and birds such as grouse, partridge and pheasant. Gamekeepers also actively manage wildlife habitats.

Gamekeepers work closely with farm managers and forestry workers, as well as clients who come to shoot. Their main tasks are rearing young birds from hatcheries, making sure game is kept safe from predators, and making necessary repairs to equipment, buildings and release pens. In the shooting season, they arrange shoots and hire beaters and pickers up.

Other work includes managing woodland or burning heather, clearing land using power saws and other equipment, building fences and clearing ponds and ditches. Gamekeepers work flexible hours according to the season and when jobs need completing. It may involve working long hours and can include early morning, evening and weekend work. Most of their working time is spent outdoors in all weather conditions. There is a lot of walking, and work can involve a great deal of physical effort.

You’ll follow one of four routes within the Intermediate Level Apprenticeship: upland/grouse, lowland, deer, or game rearing. On the Advanced Level Apprenticeship, you’ll choose between a general route, deer, or game rearing.

The following providers offer this specialism:

Bishop Burton College

This Apprenticeship covers both Amenity and Production Horticulture which in turn covers a vast range of horticulture occupations, and would be a good choice for anyone interested in working outdoors and with plants.

Amenity horticulture includes landscaping, which covers the planning, creation and maintenance of designed landscapes, both urban and rural. A designed landscape is basically any piece of ground that had been changed to make it fit for purpose, rather than left in its wild state. Amenity horticulture also includes sports turf, golf courses, parks and planning of domestic gardens. It is possible that some businesses work on large projects like motorway landscape construction, while others provide services like domestic gardening.

Production Horticulture deals with a large-scale production of plants for food and ornamental purposes. This includes fruit, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, plants, flowers and trees for sale. Businesses that an apprentice may be working in will range in size from small private nurseries to specialist farms. Horticulture is a major UK industry experiencing constant development through research.

The nature of the Apprenticeship will depend on your employer – you could find yourself working as a landscaper or gardener. You may learn how to clear sites for planting or how to maintain equipment.

On the Advanced Level Apprenticeship, you could move into a specialist or supervisory role and be involved in planning various activities. Particular health and safety training may be required for different areas of work.

The following providers offer this specialism:

Bishop Burton College

This Apprenticeship deals with the maintenance and repair of a range of mechanised equipment used in agriculture and other land-based industries. Land-based engineers work to solve problems using a combination of scientific, technical and engineering knowledge. There is a wide range of opportunities in this area. Possibilities include design development, manufacturing, field engineering, service engineering, and sales and marketing.

As an Intermediate Level Apprentice, you’ll train as a technician and learn how to maintain a variety of machines. The exact nature of your work will depend on your employer – land-based engineers can work on complex agricultural machinery (e.g. tractors, combine harvesters, sprayers, planters and cultivators), ground care machinery (e.g. mowers, compact tractors), forestry machinery (e.g. chainsaws, wood chippers), fixed machinery (e.g. milking equipment), and construction machinery (e.g. trucks and mini diggers).

On the Advanced Level Apprenticeship, you’ll learn how to diagnose and repair more complex faults. To succeed in this area you’ll need a good level of mechanical skill and the ability to work from technical manuals. You’ll need a thorough understanding of agricultural principles, and plenty of technical know-how.

The following providers offer this specialism:

Bishop Burton College