British Soldier to Tree Surgeon!!

[Si Stevenson]

cheeky git and done it quite well, if I might add

 

I have no doubt of that!

[Mick Stockbridge]

I don't think anyone is getting pushed Mark.

 

It is an attractive industry to get into,there just arn't that many jobs going.

 

That fact might get overlooked by those providing resettlement courses,this MOD demobilization is doing for trainers,what the 1987 Storm did for cutters.

 

Off topic. Why did you decide to dye your hair Mike?

[Mick Stockbridge]

OOops! Just twigged, it's yer new bird......he's better looking than the last one....

[NFG]

Hello forum,

 

My name is Tim I'm a 24yo about to come to the end of 8 years served as a Combat Medic in the British Army.

 

I am living just outside Oxford and there for the next 4 years as my wife is a RAF nurse posted to that location.

 

I am looking to start a career as a Tree Surgeon and I'm a complete beginner.

I have always been interested in tree surgery and now comes the time where I'm going to commit to making a go of it! I have 6 months left to serve and I can use that time to train and partake in any courses I can complete to put me in the best employable position.

 

I'm looking for advice and tips on training, jobs, and just any info to get me started! Thanks for reading this and would love to hear some opinions.

 

Regards

 

Tim.

 

Salute - respect. There are some good people on this forum & good luck with your new career.

 

N

[Allan1986]

Hello forum,

 

My name is Tim I'm a 24yo about to come to the end of 8 years served as a Combat Medic in the British Army.

 

I am living just outside Oxford and there for the next 4 years as my wife is a RAF nurse posted to that location.

 

I am looking to start a career as a Tree Surgeon and I'm a complete beginner.

I have always been interested in tree surgery and now comes the time where I'm going to commit to making a go of it! I have 6 months left to serve and I can use that time to train and partake in any courses I can complete to put me in the best employable position.

 

I'm looking for advice and tips on training, jobs, and just any info to get me started! Thanks for reading this and would love to hear some opinions.

 

Regards

 

Tim.

 

Hi Tim,

 

I'm also ex Army (2 Rifles) I did the 10 week Arb/forestry course at Otley College in Suffolk, funded with ELC because it included a level 3 subsidiary diploma. Good course to get the basics that most employers look for with CS 30,31,38,39 all included. The hardest part for me was finding an employer that would give me the opportunity to climb. I started off with a large company supposedly as a trainee climber but spent most of my time feeding the chipper because they had no time for training a newbie. I'm not saying all large companies are the same, just my personal experience. I'm in a 3 man team now and getting plenty of experience in the trees.

 

Good luck with it pal the opportunity is definitely there.

 

Allan

[onehanded]

If I were you I would reconsider my options.. becoming a tree surgeon might sound good but the reality of it all is it NOT!!

Iv been climbing for eight years now! When I started I was on £60 a day and top climbers were on £120 a day. Eight years on and I'm on £120 a day and new guys start on £60!! This industry is saturated!! To many companies competing for the same work, therefore prices go down and the workload goes up to maintain targets!! Companies can't pay anore than that and have the attitude that you should just be happy to have a job!! When I started tree surgery petrol was less than a pound!! Weigh it all up..

Then there's the issues of when you are in your thirties and your body is starting to slow down and show signs of wear and tear!! There aren't many full time climbers out there in their forties.. time to look for a new career again. I know to many guys big buggered backs, neck, knees, hips etc.

I'm 28 mate.. in my last year and heading out to Australia to finish up and get out of a mugs game!!

If you choose to carry on with it look at merriest wood!! The Royal Marines paid for me to do the 10 week course!! I did it with a few mates.. I'm the last one still in the game!!

 

All the best mate

[onehanded]

There's your answer mate! If ex RAF can do it ..........

 

Richard Olley at Kingswood is spot on, they have great facilities - also a pub round the corner that will give you your £25 daily receipt for scoff(or beer as scoff, apparently:thumbup:)

 

Make sure you get the full ELC grant - some time spent on paperwork BEFORE you see the resettlement officer!

 

Contact a local tree surgeon and start dragging brash now. Chin work/Army off ASAP and concentrate on your new career - they will forget about you as soon as you hand in your MOD90!!! ( Unless you don't pay your mess bill!)

 

Work hard and don't listen to those that say that the Arb world is sh!t - they obviously aren't doing it right!

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

The arb world has gone to ****.. there's too many guys doing it and companies are undercutting each therefore pushing the workload up!! There's nothing in it for top climbers anymore. Bosses now just expect... £120 a day for the last 3years!!

I take it you must be company owner with a comment like that!!

[sammym]

Just to throw my opinion into the mix. I've recently (not the recent, I've been lazy) come back from a tour with the TA's. I closed down my company to do it... My advice would be to stay in if you can! If you have got redundancy then do something else. I'll explain way...

 

1) As others have said, your limited with age in arb. When you are late 40's if you arn't running a company your life is horrible. Thats my experience (I'm younger than that) and that of everyone I know.

 

2) The pay isn't great. Yes you can earn decent money occasionally, however it's never regular and you will have to EARN it.

 

3) Companies in Arb, are generally small and because of that play hard and fast with the rules... If you upset the boss, your likely to find yourself with no job and no money. That's just how it is in this industry.

 

4) It's hard. Like really really hard. In the summer you will sweat and be close to passing out. In the winter you will be freezing. Climbing a tree in freezing rain is about as much fun as being on an exercise when it's pissing it down.

 

5) People will treat you like dirt. They don't view "lumberjacks" as anything more than tramps.

 

I know people won't like what I've said. And their experiences will be different to mine. However I can honestly say that not many people would look back and say "yep I'm glad I did that, it's been a rewarding and enjoyable career" when they retire with no pension at 50.

 

That said, if you do. You will work with some great people, and have a bit of fun along the way. You will end up all standing around scratching your head thinking wtf, and have to find an ingenius way of working it out.

 

Your call, but I would feel a bit rubbish not being real with you.

[Si Stevenson]

The arb world has gone to ****.. there's too many guys doing it and companies are undercutting each therefore pushing the workload up!! There's nothing in it for top climbers anymore. Bosses now just expect... £120 a day for the last 3years!!

I take it you must be company owner with a comment like that!!

 

Thought the Royal Marines were meant to be driven men!

 

A lot of the problem is management of expectation. I agree with the fact that you are not going to become a millionaire by working in the Arb game.... BUT....for me, that's not what it's about.

 

It was/is a lifestyle choice. Since leaving the forces and going into Arb it has had a positive affect on my life. I get up in the morning and look forward to a good honest days graft, outside, with people I respect. At the end of the day, yes I am tired, yes I may have taken a knock or two........but I am going HOME and I am happy.

 

If you are doing it purely for the money, you are in the wrong game. I offered to drag brash to local companies whilst in the Army. I got paid £50 a day. I got some quals, and pay increased a little. I bought myself a van and towed a chipper, a little more money. I then got more quals bought a tipper, chipper etc and set up my business.

 

As a climber working for a company, I think you have got to manage that expectation - if the money is not what you want, maybe it's time to look at other options.

 

I appreciate it won't be for everyone, but it has been a great transition for myself.

[Jesse]

Just to throw my opinion into the mix. I've recently (not the recent, I've been lazy) come back from a tour with the TA's. I closed down my company to do it... My advice would be to stay in if you can! If you have got redundancy then do something else. I'll explain way...

 

1) As others have said, your limited with age in arb. When you are late 40's if you arn't running a company your life is horrible. Thats my experience (I'm younger than that) and that of everyone I know.

 

2) The pay isn't great. Yes you can earn decent money occasionally, however it's never regular and you will have to EARN it.

 

3) Companies in Arb, are generally small and because of that play hard and fast with the rules... If you upset the boss, your likely to find yourself with no job and no money. That's just how it is in this industry.

 

4) It's hard. Like really really hard. In the summer you will sweat and be close to passing out. In the winter you will be freezing. Climbing a tree in freezing rain is about as much fun as being on an exercise when it's pissing it down.

 

5) People will treat you like dirt. They don't view "lumberjacks" as anything more than tramps.

 

I know people won't like what I've said. And their experiences will be different to mine. However I can honestly say that not many people would look back and say "yep I'm glad I did that, it's been a rewarding and enjoyable career" when they retire with no pension at 50.

 

That said, if you do. You will work with some great people, and have a bit of fun along the way. You will end up all standing around scratching your head thinking wtf, and have to find an ingenius way of working it out.

 

Your call, but I would feel a bit rubbish not being real with you.

Thats all cool , each to his own views, i'm ex RM, 10 years in, and nearly 20 years in the trees, but i did keep going to study, M.Arbor.A now, just sold my main company, and consult , fish, and as i have something mentally wrong with me insist on spending the rest of my time resolving peoples tree stump problems, i find some sort of release from hand digging stumps , and grinding them when i can get to them, there is something very primitive about digging stumps , you can really switch off, and have a great work out and get paid for it