Horticulture Apprentice Crop Technician

As an Apprentice Crop Technician you will learn all aspects of producing potted plants. You will rotate through placements in propagation, potting, growing and despatch teams to competently perform the standard tasks, to understand the different roles and how the teams interact to produce high quality plants. Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience. Responsibilities

• Reporting to the Technical Manager and supported day to day by site supervisors and the wider team
• Quarterly placements within each team
• The first year focused on developing the practical skills required within each team
• Propagation - Taking and sticking cuttings, trimming stock plants to produce cutting material to schedule, sowing seed
• Potting - Preparing plugs for potting, working on potting line, laying plants down in growing areas
• Growing - Monitoring crops in set area, irrigation, pest and disease checks, monitoring the environment, ensuring cultural activities carried out to agreed standard including trimming, weeding, feeding, spacing, spraying (qualification part of apprenticeship programme)
• Despatch - Selecting plants that fulfil specification, working on line to prepare plant to optimum condition and insert carecard, loading trolleys
• The second year’s rotation designed to challenge, to build on the first year knowledge and achieve greater depth
• Where practical this may include some tasks with additional responsibility and /or leading small teams

Requirements

• Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
• Training course: Crop technician (level 3)
• Level 2 Awards in: Safe Use of Pesticides
• On completion of the pesticides foundation unit above also choose one of the following units:
  • Boom sprayer, mounted, trailed or self-propelled equipment
  • Granular applicator equipment
  • Handheld applicator equipment
• Level 3 award in Emergency First Aid at Work
• Candidates Aged 16-18 must have GCSE English and maths at Grade 4/C or above (if taking GCSEs this year, predicted grades must be at Pass level for maths and English)
• For candidates Aged 19+ (without GCSE English and maths), WCG will assess on an individual basis
• Essential qualifications:
  • GCSE in English, Maths (grade C/4+)
• Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
• Skills:
  • Communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Presentation skills
  • Number skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative
  • Patience
  • Physical fitness
• Other requirements:
  • You will be working at two sites.
  • Role involves working outside or under protected greenhouse structures where temperatures fluctuate with ambient weather conditions through the year.
  • Need to be reasonably fit as role involves manual labour and walking large sites.
  • All crops are grown on the floor, regular bending to undertake essential tasks.

Benefits

• After this apprenticeship:
  • Production Team Leader or Supervisor in Production, Despatch or Propagation, or a member of the Growing Team

About Binsted Nurseries Limited

• Binsted Nurseries Limited, part of the Farplants Group are a market leading customer focussed organisation producing and supplying high quality potted herbs, bulbs and ornamental garden plants to the wholesale market.
• Binsted Nursery was founded in 1978 We are based in West Sussex with 2 production sites.
• http://www.farplants.co.uk

Contact

• The contact for this apprenticeship is: WARWICKSHIRE COLLEGE
• SARAH ASHMORE
• sashmore@warwickshire.ac.uk
• 07740419319
• The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000027421.