Major review launches for Agriculture, Environment and Animal Care apprenticeships

Today [October 9], the Institute has launched a major review of Agriculture, Environment and Animal Care apprenticeships.

A consultation supporting this, also launching today, will run for 8 weeks until 4 December. It is open to employers, training providers, apprentices and anyone else with an interest in the future of the occupations covered.

The Institute’s Chief Executive, Sir Gerry Berragan, said:

“The work that’s been done so far by all the employers and stakeholders with developing apprenticeships has been hugely appreciated. However, we must make sure that the oldest are moving forward at the same pace as these occupations.

“This review will help us improve the quality of those apprenticeship standards to make sure they meet the needs of both employers and apprentices. This is a great opportunity for those who are involved with apprenticeships in these occupations to have their say and I look forward to seeing some of the feedback.”

The Institute will publish recommendations resulting from this route review in Summer 2020.

Dr Jude Capper, Route Panel Chair for the Agriculture, Environment and Animal Care, said:

“It is great to be starting to review agriculture, environment and animal care apprenticeships, to make sure that they’re of the highest quality and meet the demands of the both employers and apprentices. I’d encourage everybody with an interest to provide feedback. This will help us create the very best apprenticeships that we can and to find new ways to improve that will ensure the apprenticeships remain innovative and future-proof.”

Take part in the consultation.

Apprenticeship standards have been developed through the apprenticeship reform programme by employers, because they are best placed to understand their skills training needs, with support from the Institute and Education and Skills Funding Agency. Their predecessors, apprenticeship frameworks, will be switched off from next year.

The Agriculture, Environment and Animal Care apprenticeship standards to be reviewed are:

• ST0223 – Arborist
• ST0224 – Forest operative
• ST0209 – Golf Greenkeeper
• ST0225 – Horticulture and landscape operative
• ST0210 – Sports Turf Operative
• ST0429 – Pest Control Technician
• ST0226 – Landscape/ Horticulture Supervisor
• ST0017 – Stockperson (beef, pigs, sheep, dairy)
• ST0166 – Equine Groom
• ST0167 – Senior Equine Groom
• ST0398 – Animal Trainer

‘Routes’ are groupings of apprenticeship standards structured around similar occupations. There are 15 routes in total and this latest ‘route review’ is focusing on Agriculture, Environment and Animal Care standards. It will also look at on how the Occupation Map for this route to skilled employment, which is maintained by the Institute and charts different technical education learning options, should be updated.

This is the latest route review to be launched by the Institute. The first route review was for the Digital route and concluded in May this year.

Route reviews for the Creative and Design and Hair and Beauty routes launched over the summer and are ongoing.