Hartpury College students feel apprenticeships and T Levels will leave them ‘well prepared’ to go into working within the industry or supporting a university application, according to a recent feedback session ahead of National Apprenticeships Week and T Levels Thursday.
The informal session invited perspectives from current agricultural apprentices and T Level students, asking a variety of questions about the course content and curriculum, practical learning, classroom time, and facilities.
T Level students were quick to praise the practical sessions during their time on campus, with one saying: “The practical lessons encourage all students to get involved which increases confidence when working with livestock or machinery.”
Another agreed, adding: “Having the qualification and knowledge to understand equipment used in industry prepares us for future employment as we have used a range of different equipment already.”
The combination of placement, practical and classroom learning was recognised by all students, with one praising it as ‘perfectly balanced’. Another described their time on campus with teaching staff as a ‘good, fun environment to learn in,’ with ‘great teaching’.
These sentiments were also shared by Ofsted inspectors last year, who rated Hartpury College as ‘Outstanding’ in both the full and residential inspections. The inspectors also concluded that the college makes a ‘strong contribution’ to meeting skills needs.
The ability for all agriculture students to access innovative agri-technologies is something Hartpury College has become well known for. The institution’s new milking robots that featured on both BBC News and ITV News are just the latest example of how students can learn to use the latest technology at Hartpury, boosting employability for students and efficiency for their future organisations.
Business leaders have a longstanding relationship with Hartpury College, providing placements to students.
Phil Smith of Western Arable is one of those leaders to have provided an apprenticeship to a Hartpury student.
He said: “We had an opportunity for a member of staff to join us, so I approached Hartpury College, and they put some candidates forward and we fortunately found an individual that fitted our needs.
“Apprenticeships enable us to bring younger people into the team who themselves can benefit from mentoring and training from the more experienced members of the team, which helps to set the next generation up for success.
“For the students, they get to work as well as train. They also get to experience different parts of the industry and find something that they’re passionate about within the agricultural field.”
Josh Clarke, a Level 2 General Farm Worker apprentice with Beam and Brothers, said: “I decided to go down the apprenticeship route as I’ve always been a practical learner. The apprenticeship allows me to do that by giving me one day a week in college learning, and four days in the workplace gaining hands-on experience.
“I think an apprenticeship provides you with not only the knowledge you need for a career in agriculture with the relevant experience and skills. I’d recommend an apprenticeship to anyone looking to learn both sides of farming, theory and practical.”
Animal Management T Levels – new for 2025
September 2025 will see the first cohort of students enrol on the brand new T Level in Animal Management and Behaviour and T Level in Animal Science and Management.
Yasmin Tooley, Head of Animal Management at Hartpury College, said: “We’re excited to be delivering animal-related T Levels in September. Like our agriculture T Levels, these are highly practical qualifications that will prepare students to be ready for industry. When on campus, students will have access to a dedicated animal learning environment as well as an experienced animal management team, offering students a wealth of invaluable insights and knowledge. I’m excited about these programmes as they’ll ensure students are equipped to succeed in employment within the animal industry on completion, or to progress into higher education.”
Watch this video to learn more about animal T Levels at Hartpury College.
The future looks bright for T Levels after strong first year
Deputy Principal Claire Whitworth spoke of the overall success of the agriculture T Levels and how new and existing facilities have helped with their delivery: “Our newly refurbished DfE-funded agricultural engineering workshops and SDF-funded Digital Studio, along with our wider commercial farm have been instrumental in supporting our new agriculture T Levels that we launched at Hartpury College in September.
“We have had so much interest in our new industry-focused agriculture T Levels across three specialisms of livestock, crops and agricultural engineering with 145 students enrolling this academic year and strong applications for September 2025. As highlighted by the students themselves, they are really enjoying the mix of practical hands-on activity blended with the theory and substantial work placement and are certainly getting lots of opportunities to engage with industry through visiting speakers and industry trips.
“As Yasmin says, we’re gearing up to deliver our brand-new animal-related T Levels from this September which will provide a fantastic opportunity for students with a passion for a career in the animal sector to gain a qualification equivalent to 3 A-levels, developing practical skills and knowledge throughout their time here”.
