A Trainee Pig Farm Worker will help with the day-to-day care of the pigs on a farm, which includes making sure the pigs are fed and watered. A Trainee Pig Farm Worker assists the basic Stockperson on a farm through full-time or part-time work
A pig farm will have a range of pigs at different ages on the farm. Breeding pig farms or units will keep a herd of female breeding sows which, following mating with a boar or by artificial insemination, will give birth to a litter of piglets called 'farrowing'.
The sows will rear their piglets until they are old enough to eat other feeds, at which stage they are weaned from the sow at the 'weaner stage'. The piglets are moved through various stages as they grow from 'weaner' to 'grower' stage and finally to 'finisher' stage. At this point they will be near the correct weight and fatness, usually between 4 and 6 months old, and are sold for pork, often processed for sausages, bacon and ham.
Some farms buy in weaned piglets from breeding farms to grow and fatten for the pork market. Others are specialist breeding farms with a very high health and disease free status that produce high value gilts (young female pigs) for farmers to start breeding from.
A Trainee Pig Farm Worker's tasks include:
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Helping to feed correct diet rations and amounts and ensuring there is water supply to the different stages and groups of pigs
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Learning to check their health and condition and reporting any problems
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Helping weighing the pigs to monitor performance
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Moving pigs to different paddocks and/or buildings
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Cleaning pig buildings and equipment
Tractor driving may be required to move large bags of feed or clearing away farm yard manure from buildings for example. A Trainee Pig Farm Worker would work under the basic Stockperson or under the supervision of the skilled Stockperson, Pig Technician or Section Head. Trainee Pig Farm Workers may also help with general tasks such as:
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Maintaining vehicles and machinery
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Mending walls and fences and assisting with general maintenance
A Trainee Pig Farm Worker generally works as least 39 hours per week but they are expected to work paid overtime when necessary. Early mornings, evenings and weekend work can be necessary, for example during farrowing.
The working conditions will depend on the farm. Some pigs are kept indoors all year, whereas other farms with drier land and soil keep their pigs outdoors in fields. Some Farmers may do a mixture of both production systems depending on their soil conditions, farm location, the breed and ages of pigs they keep. On an indoor pig farm, a Trainee Pig Farm Worker would expect to work mainly inside specialist pig buildings, whereas outdoor pig farms would require working outside in all weathers.
Farm work can involve standing, bending, lifting and carrying. It can also be dirty and dusty and may not suit people who suffer from allergies such as hay fever.
These figures are only a guide, as actual rates of pay may vary depending on the employer and where people live.
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Trainee Pig Farm Workers usually earn at least £12,000 a year at age 16 and £14,000 at age 19
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A Trainee Pig Farm Worker aged 19 and over usually earn at least £14,000 - 16,000
Minimum rates of pay for Trainee are set by the Agricultural Wages Board. The Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) is an independent body with a statutory obligation to fix minimum wages for workers employed in agriculture in England and Wales. The Board also has discretionary powers to decide other terms and conditions of employment, e.g. holidays and sick pay. It produces a legally binding Order which is enforced by Defra. Individual employers may pay more according to the employee's skills and experience.
Trainee Pig Farm Workers may be given free or low-rent accommodation, or a lodging allowance. Overtime may also be available.
- The National Occupational Standards for this role are currently under development
- Timekeeping
- Attendance
- Attitude to work
- Work in a team / with others
- Work on your own
- Willingness to Learn
- Self-motivated
There are a variety of qualifications and training courses that can help you:
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find employment
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improve your current skills
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gain promotion
Relevant training courses for a Trainee Pig Farm Worker include:
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Apprenticeships in agriculture
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BTEC First Certificate and Diploma in Agriculture
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BTEC National Award, Certificate and Diploma in Agriculture
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National Proficiency Tests Council (NPTC) National Certificate and Advanced National Certificate in Agriculture
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Lantra Awards Level 2 Certificate in Land-based Activities
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Diploma(s) in Work-based Agriculture Levels 2 and 3, and Animal Care Level 1 (previous NVQ title).
Further information on Apprenticeships in Agriculture can be found on the Apprenticeship website.
Many Trainee Pig Farm Workers train on the job and attend college on a part-time basis. The pig industry developed their own Certificates of Competence Qualifications to ensure that workers could train and gain the correct skills and knowledge. Please click on the following links for more information on these qualifications.
Short courses are also available for training in particular topics, such as how to operate a particular piece of agricultural equipment, tractor driving and fork lift operation.
Read more about all types of qualifications available in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Know what course you want? Search for a training course with Lantra's CourseFinder.
It is important to enjoy physical work with pigs. Trainee Pig Farm Workers do not need any particular qualifications to enter the job but it helps to have an interest in farming and caring for pigs.
Experience of working on a farm, either through work experience or a weekend or holiday job, is valued by employers. It may be possible to enter this career through an appropriate Apprenticeship scheme.
Agricultural colleges run a range of relevant full-time courses that can be taken prior to starting work or whilst working.
The size of a farm has a direct relation to the number of specific roles and opportunities for employees to progress. There is competition for these vacancies and movement from farm to farm to gain experience and promotion is usual.
With the right qualifications and further experience, a Trainee Pig Farm Worker can gain promotion to a Basic Stockman or Pig Technician. All agricultural workers need to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in their industry.
Increasingly, employees in agriculture participate in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses to enable them to enhance their skills, knowledge and careers. PIPR (Pig Industry Professional Register) aims to encourage people to better themselves and progress within the pig industry through Continued Professional Development (CPD). CPD Points are available in a variety of areas including:
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Training Courses
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Technical Meetings
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Meetings with Vet/Consultants
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Conferences
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Trade Shows
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Assessments for Qualifications
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Subscribing to industry journals, e.g. Pig World
For those wishing to progress into farm management, a degree course in subjects such as agriculture and animal or farm management may also be an option.
There may also be opportunities to work abroad.
For further information on careers in the sector you can contact the Lantra Connect Service:
Tel: 02476 69 69 96 or e-mail Agricultural@lantra.co.uk
You can also find additional information from the following organisations and publications:
Industry Information
Publications (some may be priced):
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A Life on the Land
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Scientific Farm Animal Production - Pearson Education
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Farmers weekly
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Farmers Guardian