There’s more to agriculture, environment and animal care apprenticeships than muddy boots and farming—and demand for workers is at an all-time high.

If you love the thought of spending your days working outside in the fresh air and the idea of an office job fills you with dread, then a career in agriculture, environmental and animal care could put you at the forefront of supplying the country with food, producing crops, and enriching the rural and urban environment.

Agriculture, environment and animal care apprenticeships can be broken down into land management and production, animal health and welfare, and environmental industries. It’s not just about muddy wellies, unsocial working hours and manual labour, either, apprenticeships in this sector can offer you the chance to have a rewarding impact on many levels; whether that means working hands-on or not.

There is a wide variety of jobs in the sector, and while many of them are practical, requiring physical effort and work outdoors, there are also opportunities for people to work as skilled technicians, managers and other specialist roles.

Roles include general farm workers, crop technicians, forest operatives, sports turf operatives and countryside ranger. There are also creative occupations available, such as floristry, as well as caring jobs that include working for animal welfare charities, as a veterinary nurse, a farrier or a fisher. In addition, there are more technical roles on offer and many management opportunities.

At a time when environmental work is rapidly increasing in importance, you could take a look at the ecologist apprenticeship, which is a highly scientific and technical role looking at the relationships between plants, animals, people and their environment.

So whether your interest is in outdoor practical work or more theoretical work, you’ll open yourself up to plenty of opportunities and career progression. And if you’ve always wanted to be your own boss, then this could be a good place to start.

To find your perfect agriculture, environment and animal care apprenticeship, take a look at the options below.