Crop Technician Apprentice

About the Role

The successful applicant will work towards a recognised Crop Technician Apprenticeship qualification while gaining valuable industry experience within a supportive and friendly working environment, with opportunities for future career progression in commercial horticulture.

Working across all departments in the nursery, despatch, production and within the technical team.

• Bed preparations including liverwort removal, raking and re-sanding
• Application of fertiliser and plant protection products
• Assisting with the application of biological controls
• Caning, tying and training plants on canes and trellis
• Maintenance work
• De-leafing plants
• Disposal of unsaleable or surplus plants
• Driving various vehicles on-site and between sites (where qualified to do so)
• Finishing, labelling and packing of plants for orders
• Fleeceing and un-fleecing plants
• Grading bare root and young plant liners
• Hand-potting plants
• Hand-watering and automatic irrigation operation / monitoring
• Hand-weeding
• Collating / loading plants for orders
• Machine-potting plants
• Moving plants (from one location to another)
• Opening and closing tunnel and glasshouse doors and vents
• Operation of various hand-held equipment
• Root-pruning and pruning plants
• Selecting plants for orders or potting
• Selecting labels and retail prices labels for orders
• Upkeep of the site, production areas, roadways and structures
• Transporting plants and trees
• Wrapping trolleys

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Course Contents

Core

• Identify and mitigate risks to promote and maintain health, safety and security.
• Manage accurate paper or digital records within the workplace.
• Maintain and operate machinery and equipment in accordance with manufacturer operating instructions.
• Maximise economic sustainability by optimising plant growth when carrying out operations.
• Establish crops to ensure efficient and sustainable growth.
• Operate vehicles in accordance with manufacturer operating instructions.
• Control pests, weeds and diseases using integrated pest management.
• Apply and store pest management treatments in accordance with standard operating procedures, legislation and regulations.
• Carry out plant nutrient application or irrigation tasks required by the crop.
• Carry out harvesting and dispatch operations.
• Assess and monitor crops for quality, performance and specification requirements.
• Select harvesting techniques taking account of crop condition and quality requirements.
• Maintain biosecurity and hygiene practices in line with legislation, regulations and organisational requirements.
• Keep harvested crops in suitable conditions to maintain quality.
• Maintain soils or substrates to ensure sustainable, efficient and healthy growth.
• Sample and evaluate soil or substrate health to determine nutrition requirements.
• Comply with health and safety legislation, regulations, guidelines and procedures relevant to own role.
• Participate in learning and CPD activities.
• Manage own time to achieve tasks to schedule.
• Consider different approaches to current working practices, identifying improvements, developments and innovative ideas.
• Set and monitor machinery performance to ensure good seed or plant establishment and crop growth.
• Set machinery and equipment taking into account the crop, environment, soil condition and specification requirements.
• Maintain non-productive areas.
• Assess the impact of machinery on soil structure and identify potential damage in accordance with legislation.
• Optimise growth conditions for crops, based on the specific needs of the plant relative to the environment.
• Maintain productive and non-productive areas.
• Plan for and carry out the removal of waste materials following harvest or dispatch.
• Evaluate and select different growing mediums taking into account site conditions and production requirements.