You could take a course at an agricultural college, such as:

• practical farm animal care skills
• agriculture
• tractor driving
• T Level in Agriculture, Land Management and Production

Courses combine theory and practical skills and can include units on crop production, animal husbandry and operating farm machinery.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

The following apprenticeships might be relevant depending on the type of farming you're interested in:

• General Farm Worker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
• Poultry Worker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
• Poultry Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• Livestock Unit Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

It will usually take between a year and a year and a half to complete one of these apprenticeships.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

There is no set route to become a farm worker but it might help if you:

• have an interest in farming
• enjoy working outdoors
• have experience of working on a farm from a weekend or holiday job
• have knowledge of basic mechanics

You'll need:

• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to operate and control equipment
• the ability to work well with your hands
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• to be flexible and open to change
• the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
• the ability to work on your own
• excellent verbal communication skills
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You'll need to:

• have a good level of fitness

You may need a driving licence for some jobs.

Your duties will depend on the type of farm you work on and the time of year.

As a farm worker you could:

• feed and look after livestock
• operate milking equipment on a dairy farm
• treat animals and crops to prevent disease
• plough fields, sow seeds and harvest crops
• drive tractors, quad bikes and other vehicles to carry out day-to-day tasks
• maintain farm buildings and agricultural machinery
• trim hedges, clear drains and ditches and mend fences and walls

You could work on a farm.

Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers, dusty and dirty.

You may need to wear protective clothing.