A theory course for a beginner

[Tom Mabbutt]

Hello I am Leaving the Army in a years time and I am interested in getting into the industry. I intend on doing my courses at Kingswood Training Services in Kent. I have also been looking at doing the Royal Forestry Society Certificate Arboriculture online from Mysercough College over the next year. I am after advice anyone can give me on this course please. I am willing to put the hard work in over the year but will I be capable of completing it with no experience in the industry already? Any advice will be greatly appreciated

 

Thanks

 

Matt Slack

 

I did the online RFS Cert Arb with Myerscough a couple of years ago at the same time as holding down a full time job (in another industry). The course was great, I loved it, even though at times it was hard to keep at it because in the evenings when i studied I was often tired. But my interest in the subject grew as my knowledge grew. I ended up getting a good grade, Myerscough then persuaded me to move from Manc. to Preston to start the full-time FdSc (just finished the first year of it this summer). I'm now on a gap year until next september 2012 working with the arb team at RHS Wisley in Surrey and I'm loving it. So basically what I'm saying is that the online RFS Cert course did exactly what I wanted it to do, it was great, interesting and set me on the right path for work in the arb industry and for further arb study. The past year studying arb at myerscough, working in commercial arb over the summer in Manc and starting my gap year at RHS Wisley has been the best of my life.

 

If you do the online rfs cert arb you will get out what you put in, if you work hard it will almost certainly get you on the right track, and perhaps above and beyond your expectations about what you might end up doing in the arb industry (like it did with me - i didn't think any arb firm would give an ex office-dweller a chance, let alone the RHS!), it was well worth it.

 

So to answer your question - yes, the rfs cert arb is very dooable with no experience of the arb industry. But i must warn you, it will create an obsession inside you and you will have to look at every tree, shrub and fungus you pass....be warned.

 

Good luck mate!