What is the Agriculture or Horticulture Professional Advisor – Level 6 Apprenticeship?
The Level six Agriculture or Horticulture Professional Advisor Apprenticeship is designed to provide businesses and students with the latest scientific thinking, knowledge and skills to deliver a holistic approach to farming and agriculture in the UK.
At the end of this thirty month course a graduating apprentice will be able to support farmers and growers maximise their crop yields utilising the best possible methods, enabling them to adapt to new regulations and policy to develop the best agricultural strategies for their businesses.
The Level 6 Agriculture or Horticulture Professional Advisor Apprenticeship is essential for anyone who is serious about a career path in agricultural consultancy or investing in training up the next generation of cultivation experts.
What is the 10 Things about the Level 6 Agriculture or Horticulture Professional Advisor Apprenticeship that will convince you of it’s value:
Content:
- Learn About Agriculture And Horticulture On The Job
- Agriculture And Horticulture Driven By Scientific Knowledge And Research
- Relationships And Networking In The Agriculture And Horticulture Sector
- Communication
- Personal Development As You Become An Agriculture Or Horticulture Advisor
- Learn Management Skills
- Agriculture And Horticulture Policy And Legislation Made Easy
- Commercial Business Knowledge
- Environmental Challenges And Problem Solving
- Digital Systems
1. Learn About Agriculture Or Horticulture On The Job
From day one an apprentice will be interacting and getting on the job experience alongside professionals on farms, glasshouses, estates and in nurseries as well as learning from scientists, research companies and independent consultants to see first hand what modern crop growing is.
Extensive time is spent in the outdoors and on site working with plants, flowers and crops as hands-on learning is emphasised and real world experience is prioritised over theoretical understanding and classroom time, making it the perfect course for nature lovers.
2. Agriculture And Horticulture Driven By Scientific Knowledge And Research
This apprenticeship is led and directed by the latest research and insights being discovered and developed within the agricultural sector and how these new techniques are maximising yields and profit whilst minimising environmental impacts. Apprentices will find themselves at the frontier of land management as they are exposed to precision farming, scientific research and experimental farming.
Continual professional development during the apprenticeship will ensure that apprentices have the most up to date knowledge and the skillset to continue pursuing new understandings after graduation, share expertise with their colleagues and seek out innovative solutions, implementing them at cost.
3. Relationships And Networking In The Agriculture And Horticulture Sector
A core part of becoming an agriculture or horticulture advisor is the ability to build trust with farmers, growers and relevant stakeholders through accountability and delivering on agreed objectives. Apprentices will learn about the agricultural sector’s values and culture and how to navigate life amongst tight knit communities, overcome local problems and challenge outdated practices without confrontation.
The interpersonal skills that an apprentice develops will enable them to quickly build a network of clients, navigate conversations with professional bodies and identify hierarchical structures and decision-makers within organisations so they understand who to reach out to on different issues.
4. Communication
Apprentices will be continuously exposed to scientific theories and will be working with complicated data sets so it is essential that they are equipped to explain complex concepts and ideas in an accessible way to a range of people. Alongside this training in complaint management procedures and protocols and utilising the correct communication channels is provided so that apprentices can resolve business problems and connect with clients in the most effective and professional way.
As an apprentice builds confidence in themselves during their training they will be able to facilitate and chair meetings on relevant issues with relevant stakeholders and help communities reach collectively agreed outcomes.
5. Personal Development As You Become An Agriculture Or Horticulture Advisor
This apprenticeship will enable students to understand their preferred working and learning styles so that they can be more efficient with their time and are actively encouraged to seek out feedback to help them develop their professionalism. Time management skills will also be developed so that apprentices can plan effectively for the short, medium and long term whilst gaining a flexible mindset so they can overcome any unforeseen obstacles or challenges and re-prioritise tasks when necessary.
By the end of the apprenticeship skills such as self-reflection and evaluation will be second nature to an apprentice who will be able to identify successes and areas for improvement and how best to achieve goals and optimum outcomes on projects.
6. Learn Management Skills
Through self-development apprentices will be able to recognise different ways of working and preferred methods of communicating, enabling them to facilitate the best working environment and training for others. Apprentices will also be able to support a wider team to meet deadlines and manage workloads and help more junior co-workers create personal development plans, sharing their knowledge, expertise and best practice with them.
Apprentices will learn how to employ active listening, ask appropriate questions and influence others in order to gain relevant information and reach the best solution for the farmer or grower and guide stakeholders to the most effective outcome.
7. Agriculture And Horticulture Policy And Legislation Made Easy
Through integrated learning, apprentices will gain comprehensive understanding of policies and legislation that affect the agricultural sector and how any national or international changes will impact the nature of their work. This is essential learning as a large part of an adviser’s career is to provide guidance on best practices and how farmers and growers can maximise yields whilst complying with legislation, regulations and environmental policy.
Health and safety and risk analysis is incredibly important for an advisor to understand thoroughly as industrial chemicals will be a part of their work, from storing materials correctly to being able to read labels and symbols to providing necessary reports, apprentices learn all aspects of this so that they can do their job safely, protecting themselves and others.
8. Commercial Business Knowledge
Commercial business management skills for running farms and nurseries alongside financial land management will become second nature to apprentices as they learn during the course. Graduates will be able to calculate costs, negotiate and understand the financial implications of their advice and decision making and how it can impact on farmers and growers.
An apprentice will gain a working knowledge of how to deliver on business outcomes in appropriate time-frames without compromising business values or culture whilst remaining GDPR compliant.
9. Environmental Challenges And Problem Solving
Uncontrollable variables such as the weather, seasonality and climate change are inevitable challenges that an agricultural or horticultural advisor must attempt to mitigate whether through working with nature or taking steps to move crops into controllable environments such as glasshouses.
An example of the type of work an apprentice might undertake to overcome poor crop growth might involve taking a soil sample and analysing it in a laboratory environment to understand pH, soil type, erosion and nutrient deficiencies. The apprentice will explore if the soil can be treated to improve harvests or if a different type of crop should be grown instead, weighing up the pros and cons to advise the farmer or grower appropriately.
Apprentices will explore how to overcome major pests that threaten UK crops and minimise damage whilst avoiding the development of pesticide resistant strains of weeds, insects and diseases, a difficult balance to find.
10. Digital Systems
Digital systems such as Management Information Systems have become an integral part of modern farming and enable agriculturalists to record and analyse data to make scientific decisions and implement strategies based on the results. An apprentice will be able to deliver the best solutions for farmers and growers through their understanding of these digital systems, producing comprehensive reports for clients that deliver tangible results, improving yields for everyone.
What next?
If you are keen to read about this apprenticeship in more detail and learning about entry requirements we recommend checking out this page on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education website where they break down key skills and knowledge that students will learn.
We wish you the best of luck with your apprenticeship journey!