Crop Technician Apprentice

Summary

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.

Wage

£15,392 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Training course

Crop technician (level 3)

Hours

Monday - Wednesday 7.30am - 4.00pm, Thursday and Friday 8.00am - 4.00pm.

37 hours a week

Start date

Friday 28 August 2026

Duration

2 years

Positions available

2

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

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
• Fleecing 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

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

• OLD FELTWELL ROAD, METHWOLD, THETFORD, NORFOLK, IP26 4PW
• Broad Fen Farm, Severalls Road, Methwold Hythe, Thetford, IP26 4QU

Training

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

Training provider

SUFFOLK NEW COLLEGE

Training course

Crop technician (level 3)

What you'll learn

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

Training schedule

• Crop Technician Standard
• English and Maths (if required) Level 2
• Level 2 Award in Safe Use of Pesticides
• Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work
• Level 2 Award in Safe Application of Pesticides using Self-propelled, Mounted or Trailed Horizontal Boom Sprayers

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

• English or Equivalent (grade A-C or 9-4)
• Maths or Equivalent (grade A-C or 9-4)

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
• Presentation skills
• Logical
• Team working
• Initiative
• Physical fitness
• Willingness to learn

Other requirements

• Ability to get to the nursery, ideally the candidate will have their own transport
• Good physical stamina, as the role involves manual labour outdoors