Poultry Technician

On a poultry technician apprenticeship course, you’ll help raise animals with the utmost care and attention to their needs at all phases of life.

As a poultry technician, you will be in charge of managing and controlling a complex farming site or operational agriculture (hatchery) unit, including accountability for your site’s performance and results, raising animals with optimal welfare and consideration for their needs at all stages of life, and adhering to all hygiene, safety, and bird welfare legislation.

Because of the nature of the process and the necessity for rapid growth, you will need to learn specialised knowledge and skills in poultry husbandry relevant to your stage in the supply chain—egg production, rearing, breeding, hatching, or growing.

What you’ll learn

On a poultry technician apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

• Maintain the site to ensure legal compliance with all relevant laws and consumer ethical standards. Conduct site audits and information system maintenance. Controls waste and improve efficiency by efficiently controlling utility, resource, and equipment use.
• Follow and enforce company health and safety requirements; work safely and in a safe working environment. Take responsibility for all on-site workers’ health and safety. Ensures that all accidents and near misses are promptly reported and investigated. Ensures all workers and visitors to the working site follow safety and health requirements.
• Take responsibility for the sites and personal hygiene procedures. Maintain a clean environment in line with the facility’s agreed-upon standards.
• Prepare facilities for the arrival and departure of birds. Coordinate the movement and transportation of birds in a safe, effective, and humane way, using appropriate physical handling techniques.
• Identify and analyse the appropriate environmental controls for the specific poultry breed/system/customer/egg programme, and determine when modifications are required. 
• Manage, maintain, and operate equipment safely and efficiently (based on age/breed/bird requirements). Maintain, monitor, and utilise appropriate business technology and systems.
• Coordinate and conduct required inspections and maintain/update/keep records as needed. Performance should be tracked and reported on, and then appropriate action should be done.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• GCSEs including English and maths or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience for an advanced apprenticeship 
• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this before taking the end-point assessment.

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment comprises three components: 

• Short answer knowledge test
• Observational practical assessment
• Interview

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 3 Poultry Technician Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.