Poor standard apprenticeship delivery

[Philip Anderson]

Apprenticeships are a great way for young people to get onto the industry, earn a wage, get a diploma and tickets....if it's delivered correctly of course.

 

I know of a certain college in north london that is doing it very well by all accounts

 

I agree with all above including the north london bit.

[Tommy_B]

Correct me if I'm wrong but, I thought that the apprentice was trained how to do everything in the workplace and only went to the college to do the paperwork/portfolio side?

[steve@black]

Tommy , one of my local centers is not even fulfilling that part of their obligation to their students.

[Tommy_B]

So they're not even doing the paperwork? That sounds bizarre. Have you contacted the college administration?

[steve@black]

They have had eight course coordinators in two years and it is not looking like it is going to get any better . The college administration is just as bad as the staff turn over is so high you never get to speak to the same person twice .

[Tommy_B]

Where are you based? Are there alternative centres that you could go to?

[hedgesparrow]

will still not name them but i watched two students using a chipper. had shorts on and a helmet with defenders on no proper ppe and this was a open day. the chipper was jamming and would not reverse so they were trying to pull it out with it still running. i spoke to one of the lecturers re the state of it. its only just been serviced. say no more if that was serviced hate to think what the rest of the kit is like. they thought running up a pole in the fastest time and ringing a bell was the thing to show.

this college from what i hear have gone down hill big time in most courses apart from one which is making them a lot of money.

they had a hedgelaying course one day being taught by someone who does not even lay hedges majority of the time is on there arb side but gave him the job to show how to lay a hedge and charge a £100 for being taught nowt

i hear merris wood nr guildford are very good from those who i have spoken to and say there courses are very good

[Brampton Valley Training]

Hi John

It is a sad state of affairs with some of the colleges at the moment as funding, particularly with apprentices, is erratic and inconsistent. We have had the same feedback from local employers regarding the treatment and quality of the teaching with some apprentices not even knowing what or where they are supposed to be learning.

We are a small training centre on the Bucks/Northamptonshire border and we have just started our own apprenticeship scheme. It is in its infancy but we are all ex college lecturers and instructors originating from the arb industry and all have been disillusioned with the mainstream college delivery of arboriculture. Good industrial practice and knowledge is something we feel very strongly about and all our apprentices are treated as individuals with different learning plans and great communication with the employers. As I said before this is in its infancy but we will develop this as putting out well trained and educated tree surgeons is more important than passing someone just to keep the figures high. We are Brampton Valley Training by the way.

[Blandboy]

Thought I'd give this thread a quick bump as it's quite relevant to my current situation (and it's my first post so go easy on me). I've just started at college so I have no idea how to gauge whether what I am being taught is good, bad or indifferent. Can I therefore ask a general question which is this. If I study a Level 3 arb course for a year, full time (4 days a week plus 1 day to get work experience from the industry) what would be the minimum an employer would expect me to be able to and would you expect me to have my CS30, 31 etc. before the end of the year?

[Topper]

There's plenty of employers on here who could answer this one, tbh when starting out in Arb the main qualifications you need are Good timekeeping, Reliability, Eyes and ears that work and are permanently connected to a functioning brain and the Ability to graft. There are no courses available for any of these.

If you have them you'll pick up what you need to know as you progress and a good employer will point you in the right direction for Quali's, but since you asked the basic ones would be Driving licence ( don't overlook this one ) c.s.30, wood chipper, c.s. 38.

Can they be done in a year.......yes

Can you do it in a year....... Your call

 

Hope this helps.