Level 3 Livestock worker

This course is suitable for individuals who already have a good foundation in livestock farming. This may include anyone who has completed the level 2 General farm worker apprenticeship or individuals with practical farm experience who wish to develop their skills and gain a recognised qualification.

The course combines classroom learning with hands-on-experience in the workplace. Apprentices attend college once a week, typically on a Friday, to develop their underpinning knowledge needed for the livestock industry, including topics such as animal health, welfare, nutrition and farm management. The remaining four days will be spent working on the farm, where apprentices build practical skills and gain experience caring for livestock and supporting day-to-day farm operations. 

This blended learning approach allows apprentices to apply what they have learnt in college directly to their work, helping the to gain confidence, skills and knowledge needed for a successful career in the livestock sector of Agriculture.

You will complete your Apprenticeship with a suitable employer based at a Livestock farm. 

Length of Programme

The length of the training for this apprenticeship is typically 18 months. The EPA period is typically 3 months

GCSE Maths and English – grade 4 and above.

A strong work ethic and good communication skills.

The apprentice will follow a training programme to complete the apprenticeship requirements and meet the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for them to be fully competent:

• The apprentice works and trains with the employer and/or training provider
• The apprentice will create and maintain a mandatory portfolio to provide supporting evidence that will be needed to supplement the knowledge, skills and behaviours observed by the Independent Assessor at the End Point Assessment. The portfolio will be used as evidence for the professional discussion.
• A record of off-the-job training – this is training that must occur for a minimum of 20% of the time the apprentice is paid to work and is training delivered outside of their normal working duties – to develop a wider understanding of the industry.

The qualification consists of learning including:

• Implement biosecurity and infrastructure security in accordance with farm health and safety standards
• Manage nutrition of livestock relevant to the stage of production
• Maintain, analyse and utilise production records to improve productivity and aid compliance, reporting to senior management with insight and results.
• Manage the health and welfare of livestock pre, during and post parturition, updating health plan and recording data on livestock performance
• Operate and maintain a range of farm equipment, using technology to increase performance and aid compliance. for example, scanning, eid tagging, robotic milking
• Safely operate farm vehicles and relevant attachments, maintaining vehicles and equipment to promote efficiency savings
• Proactively manage the livestock and direct the actions of others, to achieve business key performance indicators (kpis)
• Develop and implement a health plan to proactively manage livestock health and welfare, including identification of issues, evaluation of potential remedy actions and administration of treatment(s)
• Effectively manage the supply of feed. for example, bought in or home produced
• Carry out and supervise others with animal handling and movement across the site, to meet welfare and safety standards
• Equip and accommodate the animals’ living environment for optimal health and performance
• Implement industry relevant legislation and supply chain requirements
• Proactively interact with staff and external influencers to improve productivity and achieve KPIs
• Select and prepare livestock ready for sale or transfer in line with customer specification

In addition, the apprentice will achieve the following qualifications:

 City & Guilds Level 2 Principles of Safe Handling and Application of Pesticides Guidance or Lantra Level 2 Safe use of Pesticides

• Level 3 award or training and assessment in emergency first aid at work minimum 1 day course (face-to-face), carried out by either an awarding organisation, a UKAS accredited trade body or voluntary aid society recognised by government as specified in HSE document GEIS 3.
• Level 2 in Safe Use of Veterinary Medicines
• Achieved English and mathematics at Level 2 (For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and mathematics minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications are an alternative to English qualifications for those who have BSL as their primary language).

Learning will take place in a variety of ways, which could include workplace training, formal courses, work shadowing, industrial visits, research, self-study, attendance at college for classroom/workshop activities and time spent completing assignments set by the assessor.

You will attend Derby College Broomfield Campus, one day a week.

You will be expected to undertake off-the-job training within the workplace and spend time completing additional work and evidence towards your portfolio.

You will be required to wear PPE in the workplace, and in college during practical tasks. You will also be required to bring along writing materials e.g. books, pens, laptops to enable you to complete your learning.

The apprentice will undertake their End Point Assessment when the employer, training provider and apprentice all consider that they are ready to do so.  This stage of the apprenticeship is known as the gateway and will not be reached until the apprentice has completed their entirety of their portfolio and required off-the-job training hours, typically no earlier than 12 months.

An End point assessment (EPA) is an assessment at the end of your apprenticeship. It will assess you against the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) in the occupational standard. Your training will cover the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours. The EPA is your opportunity to show an independent assessor how well you can carry out the occupation you have been trained for.

The assessment methods are as follows:

Multiple-choice test

You will complete a multiple-choice test. It will be closed book, meaning you will not have access to any books or reference materials. The test will have 20 multiple-choice questions. You will have 30 minutes to complete it.

Practical assessment with questions

An observation with questions involves an independent assessor observing an apprentice undertaking work as part of their normal duties. It will typically last 5 hours.

Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio of evidence

A professional discussion is a two-way discussion that involves both the independent assessor and the apprentice actively listening and participating in a formal conversation. It gives the apprentice the opportunity to make detailed and proactive contributions to confirm their competency across the KSBs mapped to this method.

The overall grades available for this apprenticeship are:

• fail
• pass
• merit
• distinction

When you pass the EPA, you will be awarded your apprenticeship certificate.

Following completion of your Apprenticeship, you could be employed full time on a Livestock Farm and progress into more senior roles within the sector such as herdsperson, stockperson, or livestock unit supervisor. This qualification also provides a strong foundation for further training or higher-level study in Agriculture.

For more information contact Derby College on 0800 0280289 or enquiries@derby-college.ac.uk

Apprenticeships are a paid route into employment, so apprentices earn a wage while they train. Training costs are usually covered by the employer, meaning apprentices do not pay course fees. Additional support may be available in some cases, depending on individual circumstances.