Entry Level Qualification 

8

Career Fields 

Agriculture & Food Science

For Specially Abled 

Career Entrance Exam 

No Entrance Exam

About Career 

1. The plantation workers work on tea and coffee plantations. Their job starts with the preparation of the nursery bed followed by preparation of the land where the seeds will be sown, making pits for planting the seeds, sowing the seeds, planting shade trees at suitable distances, controlling pests and testing of the soil of the harvesting land. Their work ends with harvesting. The workers need to choose a suitable time for harvesting. At the time of harvest the quantity of work that the workers need to do increases. Their role includes proper knowledge of different types of coffee and tea seeds, types of soil, rainfall patterns, the yield of the particular variety and climatic conditions required for growing tea and coffee.

2. You will sometimes have to work independently and take crucial decisions on the field often. For seed preparation, you need to select fruit bearing mother plants for procuring the seeds, grading them, treating them with ash/fungicide, drying them and storing them appropriately.

3. For nursery bed preparation, you will be mixing sand, soil and manure as needed, sowing the seeds, hardening the seedlings etc. You will have to communicate with managers and supervisors from time to time. You will also be involved in applying fertilizer to the soil, watering properly, controlling pests and nurturing the growth of the plants. You will clear growth of other plants and vegetation in the coffee plantation area as well as harvest the crop when it is the right time.

Career Entry Pathway 

Class 5 in school – NSQF Level 2 Certificate for ‘Coffee Plantation Worker’.

After completing Class 5 in school, you can go for the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) Level 2 Training and Certificate program for ‘Coffee Plantation Worker’ or similar courses. The total number of training hours is 190.

After completing Class 8 in school, you can go for the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) Level 2 Training and Certificate program for ‘Coffee Plantation Worker’ or similar courses. The total number of training hours is 190. Then you can go for the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) Level 3 Training and Certificate program for ‘Processing and Value Addition of Plantation Crops’ or similar courses. The total number of training hours is 500. Level 2 course can be done after passing Class 5 but Level 3 course requires you to complete at least Class 8.

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After Class 10, you can go for a Modular Employable Skills (MES) course for Processing and Value Addition of Plantation Crops or similar under the Skill Development Initiative Scheme (SDIS) by the National Council of Vocational Training (NCVT). This MES course is for Class 10 students and cannot be done earlier.

Required Qualification & Competencies 

You may not need any formal education or training to work as a farm hand on a coffee plantation. However, it is better to complete Class 5 in school before trying to get a job. Ideally, you should obtain an NSQF Level 2 Certification to get a good job. You may also do a training course after completion of class 8 in school.

Competencies Required

1. You should have an interest in Realistic Occupations. Realistic occupations involve more practical and hands-on activities than paperwork or office work. Realistic occupations often involve physical activities for getting things done using various tools and equipment. 

2. You should have good hand-eye coordination.

3. You should have knowledge of Mathematics – basic arithmetic and other mathematical disciplines and their applications.

4. Factual knowledge of coffee plantations and related matters such as quality of seeds, irrigation methods, pests & diseases, soil health, harvest &postharvest methods, market prices, climatic conditions, etc.

5. You should have Coordination Skills - working together with other people to get things done.

6. You should have skills in Managing Material Resources - sourcing, buying, storing, and use of appropriate raw materials, machines, equipment, and devices for various purposes.

7. You should have manual dexterity – The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

8. You should have Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

9. You should have Physical Stamina - The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods without getting winded or out of breath.

10. You should have Oral Comprehension Ability - listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

11. You should have Oral Expression Ability - communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

12. You should have skills for sowing, weeding, irrigation, harvesting, etc.

13. You should have Skills for Communication in Vernacular Languages - Skills in communicating effectively in writing as well as verbally with others in a local or indigenous language such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Bengali, Assamese, etc.

14. You always or mostly prefer to stick within a routine or carry out routine and repetitive activities.

Career - Job Opportunities & Profiles 

You will find work at different commercial coffee plantations, either owned by individual farmers or by large farmer co-operative firms who are contracted by corporate enterprises such as Tata Coffee Heritage, The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited, Harrisons Malayalam Ltd etc.

Career Growth

You can grow within a coffee plantation through work roles such as Senior Worker, Plantation Supervisor, etc.

Salary Offered  

The production depends on climatic conditions and other factors. This may indirectly affect your earnings. Also, earnings vary from state to state. You can expect an increase in your earnings as you grow into supervisory roles.

Monthly Earnings In Indian Rupee

Famous Personalities 

Not Available

Work Activities 

1. Handling and moving objects and materials - Using hands or otherwise using physical strength to handle and move objects and materials; maneuver, install, lift, place, manipulate, etc.

2. Performing physical activities - Performing physical activities that require the use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

3. Inspecting equipment, systems, structures, and materials - Inspecting equipment, systems, structures, and materials to ascertain quality, performance, defects, causes of errors, etc.

4. Operating machines, equipment, devices, systems, and processes - Using various methods and techniques to operate machines, equipment, devices, systems, and processes in industrial and other settings.

5. Assessing and evaluating quality - Assessing and evaluating the quality of materials, systems, processes, products, services, etc.

6. Operating vehicles, mechanized devices, or other movable devices - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment.

7. Communicating with co-workers and others - Communicating with people in writing, verbally or otherwise inside your workplace and various other people who have professional relationships with your place of work including vendors, government officials, etc., or with people at large.