What next???

[PaulCooney1]

Hello all. Leaving the army and wanting to get into this industry ( felling/surgery/arborist).  Currently have maintenance and felling upto 380mm with limited experience.  First question.  What tickets/ training do you recommend i go for next?? I will be located in either north west england or north scotland. Second question.  Can anyone point me in the direction of companies/ employers that will be interested in employing someone in my situation?? Thanks in advance.

[Steve Bullman]

The army putting you through these courses? Try and get a towing ticket out of them if you haven't already

[PaulCooney1]

Yes ill be using my learning credits through the army. Towing ticket as in an e licence to tow a chipper etc

[Steve Bullman]

Yes exactly, very useful to have

[PaulCooney1]

Thanks for the advice.  Can you recommend any other tickets to get

[jfc]

Hi Paul,

Other tickets depends on what you want to do. Aeriel tickets if you want to be a climber. Then rigging. Pruning. Possibly chipper.

Trees over 380mm.

How much budget do you get for retraining?

Jan.

[PaulCooney1]

Ye i want to go to aerial and then a few people elsewhere have mentiond chipper (Cs38/39) were mentioned also. Just want to get tickets that will make me employable and once im employed i can properly learn the trade and gain the neccessary experience etc.  Not sure on actual budget but i think its pretty healthy as ive been in a while so get a good ressetlement package.

 

 

[The avantgardener]

I would do your CS30/31 (felling up to 380mm) first then CS38 (using a rope and harness /aerial rescue) next, they would be the most expensive initial outlay. 

I would then do the one day LANTRA ITA courses for chipper and stump grinder.

You should certainly be able to get your foot in the door as an all round groundsman.

Learn the climbing/rigging techniques on the job from the experienced crew and back it up with your own research, NPTC assessment schedules can be downloaded and studied in your own time and get assessed when you know your stuff, best of luck.

[JAG63]

Hi Paul, 

Went the same route myself with TKF Training https://tkftraining.co.uk/service-leavers/. Fairly intensive but excellent instructors and support throughout. Tim is ex monkey but I wouldn't hold that against him. I can give you a run down on my experiences, pm me if you're interested in my route to full time climber.

 

Al

[drinksloe]

It really depends on wot u want to do.

If ur to be based in N scotland or nw eng there isn't masses of tree surgery/arb work, most companies are pretty small 1-2 squad outfits, so also not a lot of job vacancies or money in it (well compared to see of the rates i see on here froom down south) Unles su go utility power lines/railways etc

If it was me i'd go 32 large trees, see if u can get into more forestry work, plenty of that in the 2 areas ur looking at and still be handy for arb work if u go into that in future.

Even windblow (as they were the basics to get on FC ground in the past) but plenty other fancy titlted courses now, not even sure wot some of them are (assisted fell and dangerous trees, emergancy work etc)

 

But a trailer ticket is a good shout

EFAW+F is also the norm on most forest sites

 

I wouldn't bother doing any Lantra courses, not really worth the paper there printed on some forest companies won't recognise them (and have a 5 yr expiry date) The training is prety much the same its the paper work

 

Ps Just to add, i dunno if u know exactly where ur likely to settle but might be worth phoning  up some local companies in that area and ask if they/other companies in that area have many vaccancies/jobs very often. Arb companies are usually easier to find than forestry companies.

Least then u might get a feel for the work in th earea u want to go to which ight alter which tickets u do

Edited January 28, 2019 by drinksloe