Getting into tree surgery

[Ely]

Hi, this is a nice forum you have here. I am a new member at 31 and I am interested in becoming an arborist/tree surgeon. I am based on the Norfolk/Suffolk border near Great Yarmouth and I am thinking about taking a course in arboriculture at Easton college. I would be very grateful for any advice you could offer of how to get into this field of work. I am also looking for work experience and would be willing to volunteer. I also have my own transport.

 

 

I look forward to hearing from you

 

Thank you

 

Simon

[martwizz]

Hey, welcome to the forum and thanks for posting.

 

There are loads of threads like this, if you use the search function, you can probably find hundreds of posts with advice for this subject. Because this question is posted very frequently, you probably wont get that many replies.

 

I would recommend that you volunteer for a few days with a local tree company and see how you like it before you make the financial commitment of college. If you can graft well, have common sense, there is no reason a company wont snap you up as a regular labourer, so you can build up some experience and familiarity with the job.

 

Things to consider are that you are entering the industry at a relatively high age, you're going to be hitting 35/36 before you are a decent climber, and by 40 climbers are often looking to move on to something more ground based. Also keep in mind that although the videos on youtube show knocking out big tops in the sun, there are plenty of jobs which are not nearly as exciting, like messing around in conifer hedges and brambles in the rain.

 

Don't let me put you off, just make sure you put the time into making sure the decision is right for you before you blow several £k on college.

 

"The grass is always greener on the other side; that's because the other side is covered in bullshit"

 

Best of luck!

[Dan Curtis]

What course are you thinking of taking? Imo, unless you're fresh out of school, it's a waste of time taking any of the prolonged courses just to get into practical arb work.

 

You'd be better off putting out feelers to see if you can get any work, and just work your way through practical tickets as you can afford them/need them.

 

If you were inclined to do something along the lines of the theory side of arb, take a 1 day a week or home study course. The ND's etc all seem very long and drawn out to not gain a lot, IMO

[Ely]

Thank you for the advice

[chris23a]

Hey, welcome to the forum and thanks for posting.

 

There are loads of threads like this, if you use the search function, you can probably find hundreds of posts with advice for this subject. Because this question is posted very frequently, you probably wont get that many replies.

 

I would recommend that you volunteer for a few days with a local tree company and see how you like it before you make the financial commitment of college. If you can graft well, have common sense, there is no reason a company wont snap you up as a regular labourer, so you can build up some experience and familiarity with the job.

 

Things to consider are that you are entering the industry at a relatively high age, you're going to be hitting 35/36 before you are a decent climber, and by 40 climbers are often looking to move on to something more ground based. Also keep in mind that although the videos on youtube show knocking out big tops in the sun, there are plenty of jobs which are not nearly as exciting, like messing around in conifer hedges and brambles in the rain.

Don't let me put you off, just make sure you put the time into making sure the decision is right for you before you blow several £k on college.

 

"The grass is always greener on the other side; that's because the other side is covered in bullshit"

 

Best of luck!

 

Very true!

[Will Ayers]

Personally I went to college with very little prior knowledge of tree work and did my national diploma. I found that by filling my days off with work for local companies I was able to gain good experience at a steady pace while still gaining a great qualification on which you can base a more academic role in your working life when you are getting old and tired.

 

That said, I have also found the knowledge I gained from my ND to be very useful while I was a self employed climber and now while I'm running my business. If you can afford to go for the better qualifications then do. You'll find it very hard to go back in to learning once you have started full time work.

 

That all said it is very much dependant on which college you go to. I went to Sparsholt in Hampshire and I can not sing their praises loudly enough, a supportive team of dedicated staff! a great class/practical balance and they really aimed us towards the industry rather than simply getting he qualification. The best thing to do is go for open days and interviews at a few colleges and get a feel for the environment that you will be learning in.

 

Whatever you choose to do you should know that this job, while very rewarding, can sometimes feel like the hardest job in the world. You will literally be moving whole trees by hand in Lego form. Next time you see a huge tree, stand underneath it and look up. Imagine carrying every piece of it by hand and loading it into a van. And that's just the easiest part of the process of removing that tree! If you feel you have the staying power to do that every day with a smile on your face. Then go for it, and give it 100%

[Ely]

Thank you very much for the information. The course I have been looking at is here - Diploma in Arboriculture — Arboriculture — Full-time courses — Courses — Easton and Otley College