Poultry technician

Key information

Reference: OCC0467E
Date updated: 20/06/2025
Level: 3
Route: Agriculture, environmental and animal care
Regulated occupation: No

Details of the occupational standard

T-Levels logo T Levels focus on vocational skills and can help students into skilled employment, higher study or apprenticeships. Each T Level includes an in-depth industry placement that lasts at least 45 days. Students get valuable experience in the workplace; employers get early sight of the new talent in their industry.

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in businesses within the agriculture industry that range from small family farms through to large integrated organisations working across the food supply chain.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to manage and control a complex poultry farming site or operational agriculture (hatchery) unit. The poultry technician will ensure that animal welfare is optimised throughout their stages of life. They will manage the performance and results across their site. They will ensure compliance with hygiene, safety and bird welfare legislation and customer standards. They will also manage the maintenance of the facility and the personnel and visitors on the site.

The nature of the process and the need for optimum growth in an exacting time window requires specific expertise and skills in poultry husbandry relevant to their stage in the poultry supply chain. The poultry technician will specialise in either, egg production, rearing, breeding, hatching or growing.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with senior management within their own business, poultry workers, and external stakeholders such as Government officials and customers.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for managing their particular unit and will supervise the staff that work in there. They are likely to work without close supervision, meaning they must be entirely proficient and competent in the process.

Typical job titles include:

Poultry breeding technician Poultry egg production technician Poultry growing technician Poultry hatchery technician Poultry rearing technician

Core occupation duties

Duty	KSBs
Duty 1 Manage and monitor biosecurity compliance across the site.	K1 S1 S4 S7 S8 S9 S11 B2 B3 B6
Duty 2 Monitor, recognise and report poultry behaviour relevant to species and method of production.	K2 K4 K6 S10 S12 B3 B6
Duty 3 Communicate site and production information to stakeholders and identify and manage risks.	K3 K5 K7 K8 S12 S22 B1 B2 B3 B5 B7
Duty 4 Maintain bird welfare throughout the production process.	K9 K10 K11 K12 S10 S16 B6 B7
Duty 5 Manage on-site processes to ensure all aspects of production meet organisation and legal requirements.	K3 K4 K5 K8 K13 K27 S2 S3 S4 S6 S7 S9 S11 S13 S15 S19 S22 B1 B2 B3 B5 B7
Duty 6 Manage the poultry site and bird performance in line with organisational requirements.	K1 K2 K3 K4 K9 K10 K13 S2 S6 S10 S12 S13 S14 B2 B7
Duty 7 Monitor paperwork completion for and its distribution in line with company procedures.	K8 S2 S6 S13 S14 B1 B2 B3 B5
Duty 8 Monitor the testing of alarms and back-up systems ensuring they are operational, and any faults rectified.	K11 S3 B5
Duty 9 Monitor compliance with company health and safety policy, legislative and organisational requirements and Codes of Practice relevant to poultry.	K2 K3 K4 K6 K8 K13 S1 S4 S5 S6 S7 S9 S11 S16 S17 S18 S19 B2 B3 B6
Duty 10 Supervise employees, monitor the accurate completion of employee records, leave and sickness, and arrange inductions and training.	K2 K3 K8 K13 S2 S5 S9 S13 S14 S20 S21 S22 B1 B2 B3 B4 B6
Duty 11 Manage and control contractors on site.	K3 K7 K8 K11 K13 S5 S20 S22 B1 B2 B3 B6
Duty 12 Maintain site security and report any issues in accordance with company procedures.	K13 S4 S9

Option duties

Poultry rearing technician duties

Duty	KSBs
Duty 13 Manage brooding activities on site.	K14 K16 S23 S25 S26
Duty 14 Manage the rearing of birds to target weight.	K15 K18 S27 S28 S30
Duty 15 Carry out the vaccination of relevant birds.	K17 S29
Duty 16 Manage and monitor ventilation, heating, feed, water, litter, and lighting within the agreed standards, ensuring the highest quality conditions are provided for the birds.	K14 S24

KSBs

Knowledge

Skills

Behaviours

T Level in agriculture, Land Management and Production

Awarding organisation: City & Guilds

Qualification type: T Level Qualification level: 3 Qualification approved: 01/05/2023

T Level in agriculture, Land Management and Production

Occupational specialism: Livestock Production

Qualification type: T Level

Qualification level: 3

Awarding organisation: City & Guilds

Approval date: 01/05/2023

Available from: 01/09/2023

Aligned occupational standards

Poultry technician - Poultry breeding technician OCC0467A

Poultry technician - Poultry egg production technician OCC0467B

Poultry technician - Poultry growing technician OCC0467C

Poultry technician - Poultry hatchery technician OCC0467D

Poultry technician - Poultry rearing technician OCC0467E

Alternative specialisms for this T Level

Crop and Plant production
This pathway is aligned to:
Crop technician - Container Based Systems Crop Technician OCC0018A

Crop technician - Soil Based Systems Crop Technician OCC0018B
Floristry
This pathway is aligned to:
Florist OCC0538
Land-based engineering
This pathway is aligned to:
Land-based service engineering technician OCC0243
Ornamental and Environmental Horticulture and Landscaping
This pathway is aligned to:
Tree and Woodland Management and Maintenance
This pathway is aligned to:
Arborist OCC0223
Forest craftsperson - Forest establishment and maintenance craftsperson OCC1321A

Forest craftsperson - Forest harvesting craftsperson OCC1321B

Outline Content - Agriculture, Land Management and Production

Mandatory additional requirements - TBC

Expected TQ occupational specialism

Livestock production

Find your nearest T Level provider

Provider information - T Levels information for educators

Industry placements - T Levels for employers and how to get involved

Outline Content provider for reference only please visit Pearson for the current TQ information

Overview

A T Level is split into three main sections:

technical qualification (TQ) is the main, classroom-based element. Students will learn about their chosen sectors through a curriculum designed by employers and developed by an awarding organisation (AO)
industry placement runs for a minimum of 315 hours (45 days) overall and will give students practical insights into their sector and an opportunity to embed the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom
English, maths and digital provision are also built into the classroom-based element of the T Level, meaning students will be given a solid foundation of transferable skills

Grading

The overall grade is subject to completion of all T Level requirements – not just the components of the technical qualification (TQ).

T Level grades combine students’ grades for the technical qualification core and occupational specialisms. For example: to be awarded a Distinction*, you must achieve an A* in the core and a Distinction in the occupational specialism(s).

As well as passing the relevant technical qualification, the following elements are required to achieve an overall T Level grade:

industry placement: This will be arranged and verified by the provider offering the T Level. For more guidance on next steps for provider visit GOV.UK
students are required to work towards improving attainment in maths and English if they have not already achieved grade 4 at GCSE or equivalent. Where students have attained, or attain during the course of the T Level, maths and or English qualifications at level 2, this will be referenced on any T Level certificates and/or statements of achievement

Students who do not pass all elements of their T Level will get a T Level statement of achievement which will show the elements they have completed.

Technical education progression profile Find your nearest T Level provider

End-point assessment (EPA plan)

Rigorous robust and independent assessment undertaken by an apprentice at the end of training to test that the apprentice can perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the occupational standard

End-point assessment organisation (EPAO)

An organisation approved to deliver end-point assessment for a particular apprenticeship standard. EPAOs must be on the register of end-point assessment organisations

Holistic or synoptic

Assessment of an apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours in an integrated way i.e. assessing several KSBs at the same time

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB)

What is needed to competently undertake the duties required for an occupational standard

Valid

Referred to in relation to assessment methods; fit for purpose

Change request policy

Most changes to an apprenticeship are made as a result of a holistic review of it. We prioritise the need for such reviews based on a range of factors. These include:

the time since the apprenticeship was developed or last reviewed (taking account of its typical duration)
the existence of any known problems with it (e.g. lower than expected starts, low achievement rate, high withdrawal rate, any issues with the availability of training or end-point assessment provision)
whether the apprenticeship is currently subject to a dispensation
the relative significance of the apprenticeship based on how many users it has

The availability of an employer group to support a review and its potential impact on any related technical education product also inform the timing of a review.

Details of apprenticeships that are currently being revised or adjusted are available in our revisions and adjustments status report.

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Poultry technician - Poultry rearing technician

Key information

Details of the occupational standard

Occupation summary

Typical job titles include:

Core occupation duties

Option duties

Poultry rearing technician duties

KSBs

Knowledge

Skills

Behaviours

T Level in agriculture, Land Management and Production

T Level in agriculture, Land Management and Production

Aligned occupational standards

Alternative specialisms for this T Level

Expected TQ occupational specialism

Overview

Grading

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