Farmer
Animal Care

How to become a farmer

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role

University

You could take a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

• agriculture
• land management
• farm business management
• crop and livestock production

Courses and qualifications are available through agricultural colleges as well as universities.

University (Entry requirements)

You'll usually need:

• 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

College

You could start your career in farming by doing a course at agricultural college like:

• Level 2 Certificate in Land-based Activities
• Level 3 Diploma in Agriculture

This would teach you some of the skills and knowledge needed in this job.

College (Entry requirements)

You'll usually need:

• 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You can work towards this role through an advanced apprenticeship in agriculture. This will usually take 18 months to complete. You'll do on-the-job training and spend time with a college or training provider. You could do a higher apprenticeship in agricultural business management if you already have a lot of farming experience.

Apprenticeship (Entry requirements)

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Work

You can get valuable experience and move into farm management by working as a supervisor, dairy or arable unit manager, or assistant manager. You could also take qualifications on the job like the Level 4 Certificate in Work-based Agricultural Management.

More info

Further information You can find more on farming careers from Tasty Careers and the National Land Based College.

What it takes

Skills & Knowledge

You'll need:

• the ability to work well with others
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
• excellent verbal communication skills
• thinking and reasoning skills
• the ability to work on your own
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• the ability to work well with your hands
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

What you'll do

Day to day

Your day-to-day tasks may include:

• planning how the farm will run
• setting budget and production targets
• buying and selling animals or produce
• keeping financial and stock records
• recruiting, training and supervising staff

Working environment

You could work in an office or on a farm. Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers. You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career path and progression

Career path & progression

With experience, you could move into related areas, like agricultural advisory work for government bodies, consultancy or training.