Life after Tree Surgery...

[Jamesnathanhill]

I have been a Tree Surgeon for nearly 10 years working mainly private in London and Kent and i am looking for a new career and hoping to transfer my skills that i have accrued over the years. I have so far thought of becoming a LANTRA trainer for climbing etc and recently discovered a new prospect of a Rope Access Technicians working on wind turbines for Siemens which sounds brilliant and is very well paid. So i am looking any advice or information on where I can go after Tree Surgery, if there is one...

[born2trot]

Yeh this question worries me greatly ....

[Matthew Storrs]

:lol:There isn't anything you just retire to the Bahamas and live on all the fat profits you have made as a tree surgeon

[Brushcutter]

I have been a Tree Surgeon for nearly 10 years working mainly private in London and Kent and i am looking for a new career and hoping to transfer my skills that i have accrued over the years. I have so far thought of becoming a LANTRA trainer for climbing etc and recently discovered a new prospect of a Rope Access Technicians working on wind turbines for Siemens which sounds brilliant and is very well paid. So i am looking any advice or information on where I can go after Tree Surgery, if there is one...

 

The training route is expensive to get into and i have found it to be a bit of a closed door club.

 

Do you like the theory stuff because tree officers who know the trade are worth their weight in gold. Consultancy is another option

[Triassic]

A mate of mine went into rope access and has travelled the world inspecting everything from sky scrapers to oil rigs. He now lives in Singapore and covers the Far East. Loves it!

[Mr. Squirrel]

:lol:There isn't anything you just retire to the Bahamas and live on all the fat profits you have made as a tree surgeon

 

Are old bits of wood valuable currency over there?

[Cloud9climber]

This is a question is ask myself every day. Only 23 at the moment, but you gotta think of these things and make a plan! I have looked into rope access, but seems you need another trade, welde, electrician etc. so you'll struggle to get a foot in the door. Always work for window cleaners though I suppose especially round London.

 

I plan on been a utility surveryor in the future, or just doing completely different away from arb

 

 

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[Al North]

I'm currently providing some training for aspirant wind turbine technicians as an external contractor for Maersk Training. If you are going into wind turbine work then the GWO tickets are the ones you need initially. All pretty basic stuff but you need them before you will be able to set foot on a turbine. They can be done in about 7 days if you can schedule them correctly. The course I am involved with is largely funded as its aimed an currently unemployed people. The work at height aspect of the GWO tickets is only a 2 day course and way below the technicality of arb climbing. It tends to use much more specialist hardware in comparison to more traditional prussik based tree systems.

As you say the money involved can be very good once you get a foot in the door. There is a projected shortfall of several thousand technicians over the next few years so there should be plenty of opportunities out there.

[gand]

A mate of mine has just start on the turbines, paid himself through the course and got a job as a cable puller. He was a bricky/stone worker before this. He now earns alot more than me per day and still gets paid if they can't get out due to swells. Another mate is also going down the same road, although he was a mechanical engineer in the RAF, so planning on working on the gearing. Both did/doing up Newcastle way, I can get the details if needed

[FatherJack]

Some thoughts.......

From my experience in the offshore oil & gas industry, rope access technicians (RATs!) need another skill to get good work (e.g. NDT inspection). Otherwise you are just a labourer on a rope.

For a while there were a lot of RATs; so remember supply and demand. The present demand may be different in 10 years.

As previous poster said, kit used is different and always need a 2nd line. And you will not get away with short cuts. Breach the rules and you are out....so may not suit some of tree industry independently minded folk.

OK while you are young; when you are in your mid 50s will you still be keen to be hanging on a rope in mid-February in the North Sea?