Farm & Workforce Development
Farm Technician Apprenticeship
Officially recognized by the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency in February 2020, the Farm Technician trade was born out of an industry need for a certified workforce that can support the growing complexities and technical demands of modern agriculture.
Farm Technicians are skilled professionals who support various aspects of farms that raise livestock and/or grow crops and fibres. Their role goes beyond manual labour to encompasses know-how, leadership, and regulatory awareness. Farm Technicians may be responsible for a range of tasks, including:
- Soil and nutrient management
- Crop management
- Integrated pest management
- Herd/flock management (health, care, breeding, feeding)
- Property and equipment maintenance
- Increasing the overall efficiency and productivity of the farm through use of technology
- Supervising and supporting other staff
By participating in the Farm Technician trade, you will be provided with comprehensive skills training that will allow you and the farm you train with to meet the technical, climatic, safety and human resource challenges of the future. This is an exciting new way to enter the agriculture industry with the knowledge, training and motivation for success.
How do I become a certified Farm Technician?
There are two pathways to follow:
- If you have 5400 hours or more of work experience in the Farm Technician trade, you can challenge the exam. This is called a Trade Qualifier, and there is a fee of $740. When you successfully complete the exam, you become a certified Farm Technician and are recognized as a journeyperson, who can then train and mentor new workers in the trade.
- If you have less than 5400 hours of work experience, consider enrolling as a Farm Technician apprentice. Apprenticeship features a combination of on-the-job training and technical instruction. Apprentices learn directly from experienced Journeypersons while working on-farm. They must also complete two levels of formalized, technical training, both of which are currently hosted through the Extended Learning department of Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture.
Once the two levels of training are complete and 3,600 on-the-job hours have been achieved, apprentices are eligible to take a certification exam. Once they have successfully completed the exam, they are deemed a Certified Farm Technician, also known as a Journeyperson.
It is important to note that in order to become an apprentice, an individual must first find an employer willing to hire them and register them as an apprentice with the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency. The employer and apprentice together complete and submit an apprenticeship agreement. The apprentice must have access to a Certified Farm Technician / Journeyperson to train under, but that employer themselves does not need to hold possess the certification.
Hiring an apprentice / Enrolling your employee
Once a potential Apprentice and an Employer decide to enter into an apprenticeship agreement, an application package must be completed, signed, and submitted to the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency (NSAA). The process is as simple as filling out an agreement form (Apprentice Registration Agreement) to become a Farm Technician apprentice.
The submitted registration agreement will go to an NSAA representative called an Industry Training Consultant. The Industry Training Consultant will work with the Employer and Apprentice to complete the registration process and provide needed supports and guidance for a successful apprenticeship experience.
Visit http://www.nsapprenticeship.ca for more information or check out these FAQs on becoming a Certified Farm Technician