P.D.A or Uni

[jayman]

hi all, wondering what to do next, having done the nc arb last year and the nd this year what do i do next, do i go to uni for 3 years and be able to branch out with job prospects but end up with normal uni debt or do i do the professional diploma in arboriculture which is a one year course but will cost the best part of £2k as i understand and only be able to specialise in arb. proper dilemma, any advise or criticism welcome

[Doug Blease]

What about a degree in Forestry?

[jayman]

i tried a bit of forestry in Scotland and got a bit bored with the same old tree same old forest same old felling cuts lol , would i be condemning myself to a life of forestry with that qualification or is it more diverse than it sounds ? need to look into that one !

[Doug Blease]

Dont think so. Not with the emerging/booming bio-mass industry, public access, grant schemes, habitat management etc etc. Is it the practical side of work your looking towards or more managerial e.g. chartered forester?

[jayman]

well to be honest its more about the money for me ,dont get me wrong i love working outdoors and nature but driving a forklift for a supermarket chain just aint paying the bills so i'm doing a few years in education to get a decent trade/money just dont want to make a mistake at this point as this is probably gonna be my last chance at education, that degree in forestry does sound good though ! i think i would be happy doing either pratical or managerial really, gonna have to really look into this one,thanks

[Andy Collins]

A friend of mine did his Forestry a few years back, and his range of knowledge is vast. I think the Forestry ticket is probably a better one to have, better preparing you for the real world. To give you an idea of the work he does, he's a tree climber (he dislikes the "arborist" moniker) a forester, and a rural surveyor for a Land Agency, so he covers many angles of the tree working world, from management to hands-on.

[Pommie]

Dip Arb is @2K for the course and 1-1.5 for the exams. Might be worth a look at the online foundation degree with Myerscough

[Paul Barton]

Have you considered the AA Tech Cert as an alternative step up. It's obviously no PD Arb but it's a pretty good course to follow on from the NC.

[Doug Blease]

I would say, a commitment to constant leaning is the key. I am on the final road to having a degree, and there is no jobs screaming at me. Which leaves me wondering if I will be working in the practical side for another 10 years. If I am, then I will carry on working, learning and clocking up the qualifications.

 

Money isnt just flying around at the moment. Your probably earning just as much on the forklift, as you would as a newcomer to the practical forestry/arb world. With a lot less headache.

 

If you are free to move around the country, there is some amazing courses on offer, with great deals on student funding to keep you off the jobseekers list!

[alliaria]

With all due respect, if you can achieve the PDA in one year then you are verging on the genius level , and the sky,s your wombat