Job Profile: Trainer/Assessor – Countryside and Water Environment

Name: Adam Collett

people standing around looking at something near trees — Visit to the Beaver Enclosure at Holnicote Estate (Adam Collett)

Employer: Bridgwater and Taunton College

Location: A range of sites across the UK for a variety of work places – rivers, parks, woodlands, forestry, grasslands, moorlands etc.

Job Responsibilities

Liaising with a range of employers and apprentices on the content and delivery of the apprenticeship programmes
Organising visits with apprentices to observe practical skills out on site
Organising remote visits with apprentices to conduct professional discussions over MS Teams
Delivering online teaching of theory, covering a wide range of countryside and environmental topics
Carrying out Continuing Personal Development activities to ensure knowledge and skills are current
Developing and delivering a range of materials to increase apprentices’ knowledge of their subject and help them implement this in the workplace
Providing feedback to apprentices on their learning and development, especially around practical activities and how they can improve these
Discussing practical activities with employers to ensure apprentices are given appropriate opportunities to develop their practical skills
Carrying out survey work, species identification and habitat management with apprentices to help them understand and develop their knowledge in this key area
Delivering knowledge around current best practice and emerging practices to ensure all apprentices are up to date with the latest developments and thinking in the sector
Travelling to a variety of sites around the UK to carry out assessment and apprenticeship reviews in a wide range of habitats and scenarios

3 people wearing gloves kneeling on the ground near a water filled hole — Working with WWT to install dipwells for water quality monitoring (Adam Collett)

Majority of time is spent doing:

Planning assessments, especially observations, with apprentices and their supervisors/line managers

Carrying out practical assessments of work apprentices are involved in on site

Carrying out professional discussions of practical work with apprentices where it is not possible to directly observe their work

Delivering teaching online through MS Teams to a range of different levels of apprentices (Level 2, Level 3, Level 4)

Travelling to a variety of sites around the UK

Marking and giving feedback on work submitted for assessment

Carrying out reviews with apprentices to ensure work is up to date and apprentices achieve well

Time is spent in a mix of inside and out, usually on a weekly basis, one week indoors, one week out on site. There is no seasonal variation, Assessors go out on site in all weathers and apprentices are expected to do the same, there are even criteria in the three apprenticeships around having a positive approach to working in all weathers!

people crowding around trays containing water and mud from kick samples — Studying results of kick sampling (Simon Garner)

Qualifications needed

Ideally a degree in a related field, but relevant industry experience is key as this ensures understanding of the countryside and environmental sector which helps apprentices to succeed and ensures good liaison with employers and organisations.

Additional training:

DBS is a requirement of employment with the College
A good working knowledge of Safeguarding and the principles involved in this
Any machinery qualifications are always useful (Chainsaw, Brushcutter, Mower, Hedge-trimmer etc.)
Emergency First Aid is required and renewed as part of the job role
Cold Water Safety is beneficial due to proximity to water when carrying out assessments

Skills needed:

Enthusiasm for helping people learn and succeed
Passion for the countryside and environmental sector
Able to adapt delivery style to suit different apprentices and their learning styles
An eye for detail
Being able to provide constructive feed forward that aids apprentice development

Advice to anyone looking at similar roles:

Get plenty of industry experience
Obtain as many machinery qualifications as possible
Obtain a training/assessing or teaching qualification if you can
Demonstrate how you have worked with a range of different employers or organisations

Find out more about apprenticeships at the College on https://www.btc.ac.uk/employers/countryside-training/

If you have any queries about this role or would like to ask a question of the job holder please contact CJS by email.