Starting my career as an arb

[Eli Hawkes]

Hello,

 

I am 19 and have just finished college in an outdoor course with lots of climbing but no tree climbing. I have worked as a landscaper briefly before and removed trees but without machinery. I am eager to start off a career as a tree surgeon and have seen endless comments saying that it is a hard graft with not a big payout but I am fine with that as hard graft is not a problem and it is something that very much interests me. 

 

What I have written this topic about is to ask experienced arbs that have been through the process for some advice on going about the best way to being successful. I have a few options - 

 

Firstly, go to university and study a relevant course. Whilst it is good to have a degree under my belt, I have been told that isn't the best way to becoming a climber (which is my goal) and is pretty useless.

 

Secondly, I could try and I have been applying to apprenticeships or traineeships run by good companies or small businesses down the south coast (Bournemouth,Poole area). I believe this gives me all the qualifications I will need to becoming a fully qualified climber afterwards but I am not too sure? Also, if I did this option, how long would it takes me to get into climbing from being a groundsman?

 

It would be much appreciated if somebody could help me out and give me some pointers what to do and also if anyone knows any vacancies in the Dorset area for that type of apprenticeship or traineeship? 

 

Thank you.

[trigger_andy]

Get your degree or an apprenticeship in something genuinely useful, like a Plumber, Sparkie, Mechanic or an Engineer. Get that under your belt as its something useful to fall back on. Play with trees on the weekend. If you still like playing with trees and really dont have any intention of earning a living that much above minimum wage then crack on, but at least you'll have a trade or qualification to fall back on. 

 

Dont let your heart rule your head, one day you'll want a mortgage and a family.

 

Thats my take on it anyway.  

[Guest]

2 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

Get your degree or an apprenticeship in something genuinely useful, like a Plumber, Sparkie, Mechanic or an Engineer. Get that under your belt as its something useful to fall back on. Play with trees on the weekend. If you still like playing with trees and really dont have any intention of earning a living that much above minimum wage then crack on, but at least you'll have a trade or qualification to fall back on. 

 

Dont let your heart rule your head, one day you'll want a mortgage and a family.

 

Thats my take on it anyway.  

Agree totally with this. If I had my time again I'd probably join one of the services and learn a trade through that. By the time you're mid 40's you'd have a pension and a trade. If you just have tree work by your mid 40's you'll still be looking at a long physical career ahead of you, that's neither assured or easy and little in the way of a safety net. I know at 19 your 40's seem a long way off but tree work like any other industry can become repetitive and most tree workers skill levels plateau or rather the skills needed for most tree jobs plateau, so you don't necessarily have to be doing it your whole life to get good at it . It is an interesting and fun career compared to many but it's not a job for older bones so have a plan B.

Or join the rest of us disgruntled on Arbtalk who are facing a precipice at middle age.

[Andrew McEwan]

Another view is that there are plenty of us in our 40s that have done fine from tree work as a very genuine and useful career....., initially planting and forestry then climbing subbing paid for my education  to degree level. Sounds like you'd be suited to getting on a level 2 arb apprenticeship with a decent company and going from there, if you're prepared to earn them money and put the time and effort in on the basic tasks, don't think that it will make you a climber, view it as a first step.

[Mick Dempsey]

The kid wants to be a climber, that’s what he wants advice on.

 

My advice is get on a block course, 10 weeks at Merrist Wood or the like, then get a job with a decent firm with a good rep and good machinery, you’ll start with a lot of menial work, but watch what the experienced guys are doing, see how work gets carried out.

Ask to set lines and do the routine climbing stuff when the lead climber is knackered or whatever. Try and get a bit of easy weekend tree work to build confidence.

 

 Couple of years down the line, all things being equal, you should be there or thereabouts ability wise.

 

When you feel you’re good, start subbing out and with the extra money buy a chipper/tipper etc. get bigger work, make more money, hire staff (including a younger climber) 

Relatively doable if you set yourself targets along the way.

 

Good luck.

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by Mick Dempsey

[Joe Newton]

3 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

Get your degree or an apprenticeship in something genuinely useful, like a Plumber, Sparkie, Mechanic or an Engineer. Get that under your belt as its something useful to fall back on. Play with trees on the weekend. If you still like playing with trees and really dont have any intention of earning a living that much above minimum wage then crack on, but at least you'll have a trade or qualification to fall back on. 

 

Dont let your heart rule your head, one day you'll want a mortgage and a family.

 

Thats my take on it anyway.  

Bollocks. You can earn a decent living cutting trees, have a mortgage, family and spare cash too.

 

You'll have to work hard to become a decent climber, or else get some experience and start up doing domestic jobs to do well though.

 

Tough to earn decent coin as a groundy. 

[Joe Newton]

Get your ground tickets and aerial rescue, then find a decent firm to learn the trade. If you put in the leg work with learning stuff yourself you should become competent within a few years, same as most other trades I imagine. 

[tree-fancier123]

12 hours ago, Eli Hawkes said:

down the south coast (Bournemouth,Poole area).

https://www.arborventure.co.uk/

 not too far from you, with a World Champ climber on the team, they can put you through your tickets and probably give pointers about who to ask for work on the south coast. 

[Eli Hawkes]

Thanks for everyones advice which I have taken on board - I like the idea of really hard graft to for some years to get experience and then starting up a business. Obviously it will be challenging but so is everything else to make bigger money.   I think ill do the route of the apprenticeship as they pay for all my qualifications etc and still make a wage for a year or two then stay with the same company perhaps for a little bit and then buy a chipper and start doing my own jobs.

 

Thanks everybody.