Why Employer Support Matters
Employer involvement helps apprentices turn day-to-day work into clear evidence. A short, regular discussion helps them explain what they did, why it mattered and what they learned.
Your role: give opportunities, check understanding and prompt apprentices to upload focused evidence to their portfolio.
- Link work activities to apprenticeship outcomes
- Support reflection, not just task completion
- Keep evidence current and accurate
- Confirm progress with short review notes
Level 2 General Farm Worker (GFW): Duties Focus
For Level 2 apprentices, discussions should focus on Duties. Ask apprentices to explain recent tasks and how they completed them safely, effectively and to farm standards.
Priority page: Farm Duties Hub
What to review in meetings:
- Which duty was covered this week and what activity was completed
- How safety, biosecurity and welfare were applied
- What records or photos were collected as evidence
- What went well and what should improve next time
- Which duty will be the next portfolio target
Level 3 Agriculture: Crop or Livestock Projects
For Level 3 apprentices, discussions should focus on project progress, decision-making and analysis. Apprentices should present evidence from either the Crop or Livestock route and explain performance, not just activity.
Project hubs:
What to review in meetings:
- Which project section is underway and why it is important
- What workplace data was used (records, observations, KPIs)
- What decisions were made and what influenced them
- How outcomes affected welfare, productivity, safety or sustainability
- What evidence still needs uploading to complete the section
Suggested 10 Minute Discussion Structure
- 2 minutes: apprentice summary of work completed
- 3 minutes: review evidence quality and portfolio uploads
- 3 minutes: discuss learning points and improvements
- 2 minutes: agree next target activity and evidence plan
Tip: end each discussion with one clear action for the apprentice to upload or update before the next check-in.
Quick Evidence Checklist for Employers
- Photo evidence of workplace activity
- Records or data linked to the task (logs, treatments, yields, checks)
- Short apprentice reflection: what happened, why, what next
- Employer discussion notes or feedback points
- Clear link to the relevant duty or project section
Simple Review Cycle
Use a repeating cycle to keep progress steady:
- Plan: choose duty or project section
- Do: complete workplace activity
- Discuss: review with employer
- Upload: add evidence to portfolio
- Improve: set next target
Employer Questions to Prompt Better Portfolio Entries
- What exactly did you do, and which duty or project section does it match?
- What evidence proves the quality of your work?
- What decision did you make, and what informed it?
- What would you do differently next time?
- What is your next evidence target before our next review?