UK Qualification Equivalents

[scarfie]

Hi I'm a New Zealand arborist moving to the UK very shortly and am looking for some insight into the crossover of qualifications. Are there any Kiwis on here that have worked in the UK , or any Brits that have worked in NZ?

I currently have the Otago Polytech Level 4 Arboriculture Certificate.

Many of the jobs I have looked at in England say you need the NPTC Units CS30, 31, 38 and 39. Does anyone know what these are and if my qualifications are equivalent?

Any piece of info would be helpful

[MATTMOSS]

Hi,

The NPTC units you are hearing about are Certificates of competence for using chainsaws and carrying out arboricultural task, eg, felling, dismantling, ariel rescue, using chipper /stump grinder etc.

These show that you have been properly taught how to work safely and to best practices.

I am not sure but I would guess the level 4 qualification you hold is more an academic qualification equivalent to the English level 4 Certificate in arboriculture which will cover a wider range of subjects in arb/forestry.

 

Here is a link that I have been looking at today, it may or may not be any use to you but it was useful to me as our qualification framework has recently changed and I find it a bit confusing.

 

Comparing qualifications levels - Ofqual

 

regards

Matt

[treequip]

The NPTC units are almost universally specified within the UK.

 

Competencies are "required" HSE and the NPTC is the market leader.

 

Most employers and particularly main contractors require you to produce your "card".

 

If you can get a cross over qualification you are going to have to get used to explaining things to site managers or health and safety officers:thumbdown:

 

The other thing you will need is a CSCS card, its a very basic qualification required to work on construction sites, its cheap enough to get and you would have to have your head on backwards to fail the test.

[nz paul]

Nothing arb/forestry related in NZ is transferable to the UK,its all about making money,went through this whole thing nearly 7 years ago.Your cert in arb will be fine but you will still have to gain NPTC certs to work,although some companies will let you work with your NZ certs.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Nothing arb/forestry related in NZ is transferable to the UK,its all about making money,went through this whole thing nearly 7 years ago.Your cert in arb will be fine but you will still have to gain NPTC certs to work,although some companies will let you work with your NZ certs.

 

That's about it "in a nutshell", well certainly is you plan to stay for more than 12 months. Thereafter HSE, the UK Health and Safety Executive (the 'regulator') will expect you to transfer to the UK system which everyone refers to as NPTCs (National Proficiency Test Council, part of the City & Guilds (C&G) national awarding body.)

 

NPTCs, whilst still viable, are, in effect, no longer available as the system has changed to 'licence to practice' which are generally available from both C&G (see below) and Lantra (see Lantra Awards | Training Courses | Chainsaw | Aerial | Qualifications )

 

Regards, n good luck.

Paul

City&Guilds-chainsaw-quals.pdf

[Yorkshireman]

Its worth commenting that assessments can be booked independently of tuition,

 

If you are confident your skills are upto standard then you can book an assessor for a day & be assessed for multiple units , ie chainsaw maintenance & sml & or medium tree felling

 

 

Tree climbing & aerial resuce , aerial chainsaw use using free fall techniques ,

 

tree dismantling & or pruning ,

 

woodchipper & or stumpgrinder , polechainsaw

 

 

the standards are available on the websites so you can familiarise yourself with UK querks

 

Sorry no quick transfer form NZ to UK as far as I am aware ,,

 

Iain

[TonyDarbyshire]

Hi I'm a New Zealand arborist moving to the UK very shortly and am looking for some insight into the crossover of qualifications. Are there any Kiwis on here that have worked in the UK , or any Brits that have worked in NZ?

I currently have the Otago Polytech Level 4 Arboriculture Certificate.

Many of the jobs I have looked at in England say you need the NPTC Units CS30, 31, 38 and 39. Does anyone know what these are and if my qualifications are equivalent?

Any piece of info would be helpful

Where are you moving to Scarfie? Might help you in finding a trainer/assessor who can help...as Yorkshireman says, you could just do the tests with one of us! Often running refreshers for companies here, often got a CS30/31 running - could fit you in for an assessment. Check out my website mate - be glad to help - Sawpod

[Bobsaw]

Scarfie, It is worth contacting City Suburban (City Suburban Tree Surgeons,Arboricultural Contractor South London,Tree Surgeons South East,Arboricultural Services in London,Arboricultural Association Approved Contractor & Consultant,Tree workers in London,Stump Grinding) tree surgeons based in London they employ a lot of guys from New Zealand.

[Kiwi n Kernow]

Gday Scarfie,

Im a fellow Kiwi based in the UK and am having trouble getting my NZ quals recognised over here, did you manage to get a solution to this problem

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Gday Scarfie,

Im a fellow Kiwi based in the UK and am having trouble getting my NZ quals recognised over here, did you manage to get a solution to this problem

 

Gents (despite stuffing us at both rugby disciplines ),

 

The issue here is not that the academic aspects of your training / education are not recognised, nor for a certain duration (upto 12months) your practical skills capabilities, but that from a Health and Safety Executive regulatory point of view you should conform to the UK based system.

 

Whilst this may change in the future as currently the Association's Education and Training Committee is looking into this very issues, albeit more in relation to the 'academic' side, or certainly initially, the expectation is that if you're here for anything more than a 12 month 'working holiday' (why would you? ) you should comply.

 

As Iain and Tony have pointed out, if after working with English guys for 12months, you consider yourself to be to the same standard, which has certainly been my experience, then you could just undertake the assessments without the associated training.

 

Hope this helps...and watch out in 2015!

 

Cheers for now.

Paul