Beekeeping Apprenticeship
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BHP Queens and Urban Bee-leivers are delighted to be partnering together to offer a unique 3 year apprenticeship opportunity through the Bee Farmers association starting in Spring / Summer 2025.
The deadline for applications is Monday 24th March 2025.
The deadline for applications is Monday 24th March 2025.
Job Description
Apprentice Beekeeper
1. Hours: Full time (37.5 hours a week) for 3 years
2. Salary: £23,875 + benefits
3. Responsible to: Tim & Riikka Elverson – BHP Queens / Sarah Mist – Urban Bee-lievers
4. Organisational background and information:
Join BHP Queens and Urban Bee-lievers Social Enterprise as an Apprentice Beekeeper. The three-year apprenticeship program is supported by the Bee Farmers Association and includes training toward a diploma of excellence in Bee Farming.
As an apprentice, your time will be split between two organizations: BHP Queens (a queen rearing farm in Steeple Claydon, Buckingham) and Urban Bee-lievers (a beekeeping social enterprise/charity in Milton Keynes). For more information on the appenticeship scheme visit www.beefarmers.co.uk.
5. Employee Benefits
At both organisations we work hard to make sure that all of our staff are valued members of our team. We support each other in all the tasks and jobs that make up the uniquenesses of each organisation. In addition to the support from the team you will receive the following employee benefits:
● Counselling and welfare support delivered by an external provider
● Staff discount products
● Discounts and offers on a wide range of external products and services
● Holiday allowance 28 days in year one and 32 days in subsequent years.* Pro rata for part time
● An extra day off for your birthday!
● Pension scheme
* We request that only 5 days of holiday is taken in the busy summer months between May and September
Urban Bee-Lievers Role
Urban Bee-lievers – Beekeeping social enterprise/charity – Helping to make Milton Keynes a bee-friendly city
Throughout the 3 year apprenticeship the role will develop to include;
· Assisting in the management of 20 honeybee colonies across 6 sites, including corporate hive hosting.
· Conducting regular health inspections and swarm control.
· Harvesting, extracting, jarring, and labelling honey.
· Maintaining and assembling beekeeping equipment.
· Driving to and between apiaries.
· Making and developing products such as lip balms, candles, and wax wraps.
· Presenting workshops and running bee experiences about bees, honey, and beeswax to corporate customers, schools, and community groups.
· Assisting in creating social media content, promotional materials, and marketing items.
· Running markets, pop-up shops, and Christmas fairs to sell products.
· Working as part of the wider team at the Urban Farm in Wolverton, supporting staff and young people.
Seasonal Dynamics:
· Spring & Summer: Active beekeeping and running bee-keeper experiences, spending most of your time outdoors with the bees.
· Autumn & Winter: Focus shifts to extracting and jarring honey, product making and selling, and preparing for the next beekeeping season.
This role offers a dynamic, hands-on experience in beekeeping, product creation, and community engagement.
Throughout the 3 year apprenticeship the role will develop to include;
· Assisting in the management of 20 honeybee colonies across 6 sites, including corporate hive hosting.
· Conducting regular health inspections and swarm control.
· Harvesting, extracting, jarring, and labelling honey.
· Maintaining and assembling beekeeping equipment.
· Driving to and between apiaries.
· Making and developing products such as lip balms, candles, and wax wraps.
· Presenting workshops and running bee experiences about bees, honey, and beeswax to corporate customers, schools, and community groups.
· Assisting in creating social media content, promotional materials, and marketing items.
· Running markets, pop-up shops, and Christmas fairs to sell products.
· Working as part of the wider team at the Urban Farm in Wolverton, supporting staff and young people.
Seasonal Dynamics:
· Spring & Summer: Active beekeeping and running bee-keeper experiences, spending most of your time outdoors with the bees.
· Autumn & Winter: Focus shifts to extracting and jarring honey, product making and selling, and preparing for the next beekeeping season.
This role offers a dynamic, hands-on experience in beekeeping, product creation, and community engagement.
BHP Queens Role
BHP Queens – suppliers of premium British-reared Buckfast Queen Bees
Throughout the 3 year apprenticeship the role will develop to include;
Seasonal Dynamics of the BHP Queens part of the role:
Spring and Summer: This period is all about active beekeeping. You'll spend most of your time outdoors, moving from one apiary to another, engaging directly with our bees.
Autumn and Winter: While there will still be some hands-on beekeeping, these cooler months are focused on extracting and jarring honey, making and selling products and preparing for the upcoming season getting equipment ready for the spring.
Throughout the 3 year apprenticeship the role will develop to include;
- Assist in the management of 100 honey producing Hives and 800 mating nucs.
- Regular health inspections and applying swarm control methods as needed.
- Honey Harvesting and Extraction.
- Equipment Maintenance and assembly.
- Be involved in all stages of queen rearing process.
- Driving to and between apiaries.
- Moving nucs and hives between apiaries as needed (sometimes during unsociable hours).
- Honey house upkeep.
- Honey packing, marketing and sales.
- Occasionally be involved in dispatching honey and queen bee orders.
- Customer correspondence
Seasonal Dynamics of the BHP Queens part of the role:
Spring and Summer: This period is all about active beekeeping. You'll spend most of your time outdoors, moving from one apiary to another, engaging directly with our bees.
Autumn and Winter: While there will still be some hands-on beekeeping, these cooler months are focused on extracting and jarring honey, making and selling products and preparing for the upcoming season getting equipment ready for the spring.
Bee Farming Diploma
The Bee Farmers’ Association has developed this unique apprenticeship scheme in partnership with Rowse Honey providing a complimentary study element to run alongside your employment.
The scheme is supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and developed with the help of the Livery Companies Skills Council and City & Guild. It aims to equip apprentices with the skills and knowledge to make a successful career in the bee farming industry. Those successfully completing the three-year programme are awarded a Diploma in Excellence in Bee Farming by the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers.
Underpinning knowledge will be delivered by expert industry trainers in two blocks per year. Topics covered include:
These residential study blocks, along with training and visit days and online forums, provide the opportunity to meet and communicate with other apprentices and build friendships and contacts for the future.
The scheme is supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and developed with the help of the Livery Companies Skills Council and City & Guild. It aims to equip apprentices with the skills and knowledge to make a successful career in the bee farming industry. Those successfully completing the three-year programme are awarded a Diploma in Excellence in Bee Farming by the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers.
Underpinning knowledge will be delivered by expert industry trainers in two blocks per year. Topics covered include:
- introduction to beekeeping
- equipment
- carpentry and basic woodworking skills
- seasonal management
- queen rearing and stock improvement
- botany and forage sources
- pollen and nutrition
- honey bee anatomy
- honey bee diseases
- integrated pest management
- microscopy
- processing hive products
- bottling and presentation
- setting up a business
- business structures
- finance
- marketing
- the competitive environment
- the industry worldwide
- health and safety
- first aid
- food hygiene.
These residential study blocks, along with training and visit days and online forums, provide the opportunity to meet and communicate with other apprentices and build friendships and contacts for the future.
General Responsibilities
1. General Responsibilities:
● To use IT systems and social media where required
● Attend staff meetings as required.
● Ensure the Health and Safety and Safeguarding standards are met at all times.
● Maintain positive, professional relationships with all staff.
● To actively promote diversity and equality of opportunity.
● Encourage good relations with the local community.
● Effectively represent and promote the BHP Queens and Urban Bee-lievers, their vision, values and personality.
● Maintain professional standards of conduct and confidentiality at all times.
Such other tasks as from time-to-time may be requested
● To use IT systems and social media where required
● Attend staff meetings as required.
● Ensure the Health and Safety and Safeguarding standards are met at all times.
● Maintain positive, professional relationships with all staff.
● To actively promote diversity and equality of opportunity.
● Encourage good relations with the local community.
● Effectively represent and promote the BHP Queens and Urban Bee-lievers, their vision, values and personality.
● Maintain professional standards of conduct and confidentiality at all times.
Such other tasks as from time-to-time may be requested
Person Specification
Skill or attribute
- Hardworking team player - essential
- Willingness to learn - essential
- Passion for honeybees - essential
- Flexible - essential
- ‘Can do’ attitude - essential
- Ability to show initiative - essential
- Practical, positive and solution focussed - essential
- UK residency or authorised for work in the UK - essential
- Good verbal and written communication skills - desirable
- Registered with the Rowse/BFA apprenticeship scheme. (we can assist with this)
- Will work to our professional Code of Conduct at all times -essential
- Full UK driving licence and access to a car -essential
