New opportunity: Soil Scientist L7/ MSc apprenticeship

Soils, and their delivery of critical goods and services, are a fundamental asset for the health, sustainability, and resilience of the terrestrial environment, its ecosystems, as well as the longevity and productivity of society. Recently, there has been widespread recognition from researchers, industry, and policy arenas of the burgeoning pressures faced by soils, and the urgency needed to deploy robust land management strategies to address these.

Cranfield University is launching a new MSc level Soil Science Apprenticeship course – the first in the UK. Co-designed by UK industry, this Soil Scientist Apprenticeship will equip and upskill organisations with the knowledge, understanding, tools, practices, and resources to achieve optimal soil management. It will deepen your knowledge of soils across diverse land-use contexts, delve into cutting-edge technologies for effective decision-making, showcase best practice in analysing soils on and off site, and help you build the personal competencies you need as a soil scientist. Our Soil Scientist Apprenticeship meets the requirements of the Level 7 Soil Scientist Apprenticeship Standard, enabling graduates to perform effectively as professional soil scientists in a competitive and fast changing environment. On completion of the programme, you will acquire a Soil Scientist Apprenticeship and a Master’s Degree in Soil Science. You will also attain Technical Membership of the British Society of Soil Science, and you will be eligible to apply for Chartered Scientist status.

The course will be part-time and take place over two years, with a combination of online and in-person sessions. There will be a £21,000 government-funded levy for eligible organisations, covering nearly 90% of the costs associated with the course. The first cohort launches in November 2024, and the deadline for registrations is September 16th 2024.

For more information, please visit: https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/courses/taught/soil-scientist-apprenticeship Alternatively, you can contact Dr Dan Evans (Course Director) on Daniel.L.Evans@cranfield.ac.uk