Duty new bloke, need advice!!

[Mark T]

Check out the Sparsholt College Hampshire website as well... loads of courses on offer from short courses (for the NPTC qualifications) to Foundation Degrees.

 

If you have the right attitude and a good work ethic then I'm sure you'll do well... you might be better in a different part of the country though as Hampshire, West Sussex, Wiltshire etc are all over subscribed with workers. Also, things are always going to be difficult during a recession in almost any industry... (except perhaps debt collecting?!) but long-term, its a great career path.

 

Get an arboricultural qualification, develop an understanding of trees and have a long-term aim within the industry... lots of people stop climbing due to injury problems and then fall out of arboriculture as they haven't got a decent qualification behind them, I've seen a lot of talent wasted.

 

Best of luck!

[scotspine1]

:

I'm looking to leave the Royal Marines in the next 5 months,

 

Larry, just out of interest, what is your job in the Royal Marines?

 

Have you any experience of working at height?

 

It might be worth arranging a visit to a tree surgery company and watching them work on large trees before you decide to pay for expensive courses.

[skyhuck]

The guy will get trained for free after all.

 

True, but he could get free training for many other industries, which may hold better prospects for the future.

 

If tree work did not work out, then he would have to pay for his own training for a different path.

 

Matt, I'm not say people can't make a decent living in our line of work, but as you of all people know, it not easy.

 

I would hate to think I had encouraged some one to use their "one off opportunity" at training to come into an industry that is hard at the moment for even the well established, only for them to find its not as rosy as some had claimed.

Edited December 29, 2008 by skyhuck

[Stephen Blair]

you are obviously going to be fit as hell mate and tree work will come pretty easy to you, i would try and get a job with a one man band and graft your balls off, do the work that 2-3 guys would usually do and he will pay you well. good guys are really hard to get. tickets are buttons so i wouldnt waste the army money on that. i would give the tree job a bash at first and think carefully what to use the fund money for.

[Mick Stockbridge]

Have you any experience of working at height?/QUOTE]

 

Working at height aint gonna be an issue for a Royal Marine. I think most marines get their para wings these days. If you are going to leave I could,nt think of a better job to get into. After ten years as a marine you,re gonna need an exciting job. I,d employ a marine first before some soppy sprog. Good Luck.

[b101uk]

I would be tempted to stay in the forces for another year then make the same decision/ask the same question, as it will give time for a clearer picture of the recession to emerge & some company’s fall by the wayside.

 

The arb industry for the past >7 years has had far more people servicing it than it requires & I am not on about fly-by-nights/gypsies/etc & there are less trees now, easy credit over the years has helped support this but if you observe all the people on hear down-sizing covertly & all the smoke & mirrors as to the why’s & what-for’s it paints a different picture & will lead to a surplice of skilled time-served employees & surplice equipment & it will be mainly the middle order company’s that go under.

 

The current & foreseeable work climate in most industry’s is only going to get worse so the only average people who will find work easily are “generalists” who are able to turn there hand to anything/more things so are attractive to more employers.

 

If I was in your position & wanted to get into arb BUT still have something that is of use in other trades BUT would give you something besides what most people in arb have then I would

 

1: obtained your licence (civilian) for piloting small boats on lakes/rivers (Royal Marines have boats don’t they!)

2: get secondment to a logistics/transport core to obtained HGV driving experience & your civilian licence + certification for operation of lorry mounted cranes.

3: get secondment to the Royal engineers to obtained digger driving experience (360 +180 loaders) & your civilian licence

 

You could probably do the above covertly without even digging in to any “training grants and resettlement courses” if you just said you fancied a change within the army to rejuvenate the whole experience for you.

[josharb87]

 

Gents & Ladies

 

I hope you all had a great christmas and business is booming!!

 

I'm looking to leave the Royal Marines in the next 5 months, after 10 "hoofing" years, however time to move on, at 31, life is still there to be lived!!

 

I am entitled to all the training grants and resetlement courses, and I intend to train in the field of tree surgery.

I live on the south coast, near Portsmouth.

 

Can you provide me with the basic quals required, training persons or establishments where I can obatin my tickets.

 

How is business generally, are you feeling the "credit crunch" and the general financial issues at the moment.

 

Once qualified, I appriciate that quality experiance is worth a thousand qualifications, but is there decent well paid arbicultural work out there.

I am keen and willing to work with companies on jobs to gain experiance, I have my own transport, but not invisage having any kit as yet.

 

Any top tips and advice is well recieved.

 

Thanks and kind regards

 

Larry.

 

do you know a regimental sargeant major called martin, married to catherine?

[skyhuck]

I would be tempted to stay in the forces for another year then make the same decision/ask the same question, as it will give time for a clearer picture of the recession to emerge & some company’s fall by the wayside.

 

The arb industry for the past >7 years has had far more people servicing it than it requires & I am not on about fly-by-nights/gypsies/etc & there are less trees now, easy credit over the years has helped support this but if you observe all the people on hear down-sizing covertly & all the smoke & mirrors as to the why’s & what-for’s it paints a different picture & will lead to a surplice of skilled time-served employees & surplice equipment & it will be mainly the middle order company’s that go under.

 

The current & foreseeable work climate in most industry’s is only going to get worse so the only average people who will find work easily are “generalists” who are able to turn there hand to anything/more things so are attractive to more employers.

 

If I was in your position & wanted to get into arb BUT still have something that is of use in other trades BUT would give you something besides what most people in arb have then I would

 

1: obtained your licence (civilian) for piloting small boats on lakes/rivers (Royal Marines have boats don’t they!)

2: get secondment to a logistics/transport core to obtained HGV driving experience & your civilian licence + certification for operation of lorry mounted cranes.

3: get secondment to the Royal engineers to obtained digger driving experience (360 +180 loaders) & your civilian licence

 

You could probably do the above covertly without even digging in to any “training grants and resettlement courses” if you just said you fancied a change within the army to rejuvenate the whole experience for you.

 

 

Very good advice!!! IMO!!!!!

[Mike Hill]

Welcome to the forum Larry!

 

I don't think there has been a worse time to enter this industry.As it has been said before that you might want to wait a year before commiting to any training,but volunteering with a tree firm for a few days would give you a taste of the industry.

 

If your dead set on leaving the service then fair enough.A year using your existing skills with a private company overseas might give your finances an added boost and a few months between tours to try somthing new.

 

Best of luck to you in whatever you choose!

Edited December 29, 2008 by Mike Hill
typos...again

[larry]

Gents, thanks very much for the advice.

 

All points taken on board, and although I havn't made any major descisions as yet, it's all helping to build my "bigger picture"!!

 

The training establishments in Guildford sounds good, but I could'nt really afford to take 10 weeks out of work, earning no money.

However, the prospect of doing a few days work experiance here and there, to gain some knowledge would,for sure, be on the cards. It all makes sense.

I don't or probobly won't have my own gear though!!

 

I have been doing signals and communications, so worked all around the bizzares, done all the para courses and helicopter stuff, so, hopefully heights are not an issue!!

 

Any more top tips you can fire my way are always appriciated.

 

Cheers and speak soon.

 

L.