College and what the industry really needs

[MWArb]

Hi Guys

 

I'm looking to ask you all as professionals what it is you look for in the next generation.

 

Obvious answers are tickets, underpinning knowledge and work ethic... but...

 

I'm trying to understand how to best prepare future students/workers for our ever changing industry and I figure there's no better place then Arbtalk to find out what each part of our industry is looking for.

 

So, if you could spare a minute of your time please state the work you do and what exactly you'd like your new apprentices to be able to do and what you think they should know.

 

I look forward to your reply

 

Many thanks

 

Martyn - MWArb

[Jake Andrews]

they shouldn't come away with just basic knowledge and skill levels, personally I think 1 year is not long enough. Sure work experience is crucial but too many pass their tickets without furthering skills and knowledge after. The colleges here are good IMO, 3 years as a apprentice before becoming qualified, builds great knowledge and experience at the same time, however this is based on what the employer is like, same for anyone I guess.

[Mike Hill]

Very basic things like :

 

How to Sharpen a Chainsaw correctly.

 

Focus on the job and not on the Smart Phone.

 

Accountability for Tools and respect for them.

 

An understanding that the more you can do with less kit,the better you actually are. Some of the new Climbers I have had work for me,had more climbing gear than three people need and a desire to wear most of it all the time.

 

Generally I think the entry requirements need to be tougher in the training establishments.With more of an emphasis on what employers desire in general employee character rather than tickets or knowledge of Fungus that are not in use daily.

[dgcunningham]

I would say- more In depth knowledge in legal H&S requirements & business development. Explain what a Health & Safety policy is and why we have them.

 

A expect the future will require:

 

Plant Pathology scientists

Drone developers and technicians (why send a man up when you can send a drone?)

 

[dgcunningham]

*I expect what the future.....

[easy-lift guy]

Very basic things like :

 

How to Sharpen a Chainsaw correctly.

 

Focus on the job and not on the Smart Phone.

 

Accountability for Tools and respect for them.

 

An understanding that the more you can do with less kit,the better you actually are. Some of the new Climbers I have had work for me,had more climbing gear than three people need and a desire to wear most of it all the time.

 

Generally I think the entry requirements need to be tougher in the training establishments.With more of an emphasis on what employers desire in general employee character rather than tickets or knowledge of Fungus that are not in use daily.

 

I agree with Mike. My opinion is based on the out side looking in.

As a manufacturer and sponsor/ground dweller I honestly believe the Arborcultural Industry in the UK is completely saturated, from a schooling point of view. Far to many applicants filling even less positions available.

If the number of new students were required to have more on the job training before graduation the numbers would be reduced through attrition while reducing the glut of students in the process. The additional time on the job will only improve the over all quality and profiency of the future employee for employers to draw off of.

Best Regards

Ted Scovitch

President-CEO

Easy-Lift Products International

Venice,FL. USA

[Mike Hill]

I agree with Mike. My opinion is based on the out side looking in.

As a manufacturer and sponsor/ground dweller I honestly believe the Arborcultural Industry in the UK is completely saturated, from a schooling point of view. Far to many applicants filling even less positions available.

If the number of new students were required to have more on the job training before graduation the numbers would be reduced through attrition while reducing the glut of students in the process. The additional time on the job will only improve the over all quality and profiency of the future employee for employers to draw off of.

Best Regards

Ted Scovitch

President-CEO

Easy-Lift Products International

Venice,FL. USA

 

Very Good points.

 

The tutor's on the Courses should all have at least ten years experience on the Tools.I have heard that some of the assistants on some courses were actually last years Students.

 

There are some very good young people out there on the courses,however the gaps in knowledge of the graduates in staggering. I believe that in order to gain a ticket you should have demonstrate the operation in a production situation at a productive speed.

 

Not enough time is spent on the basic's so it seems.

[MWArb]

ok, this is good stuf guys.. Would you say then that Colleges in general are trying to teach too many things in to short a space of time?

 

example: Forestry and Arboriculture courses... should it be one or the other?

 

Funding issues.. in the UK here we're unfortunately no longer able to get funding for adult learners, this as you can imagine is making the pool of students younger and therefore "less grown up" for want of a better term, is this going to become an issue?

 

how to keep students in the system.. part of this discussion has to fall on the students themselves and indeed their employers... I hear all day long that they "just wanna get on and do the job" or "why can't I do all my tickets in 2 months and be done with it"... or from employers (this one I see far too often) "just do it this way" or "forget that health and safety nonsense just get it done"

 

How do you think the industry helps or hinders such an approach?

[MWArb]

Very Good points.

 

The tutor's on the Courses should all have at least ten years experience on the Tools.I have heard that some of the assistants on some courses were actually last years Students.

 

There are some very good young people out there on the courses,however the gaps in knowledge of the graduates in staggering. I believe that in order to gain a ticket you should have demonstrate the operation in a production situation at a productive speed.

 

Not enough time is spent on the basic's so it seems.

 

I have no issue with fairly newly qualified staff teaching the very basics (I myself came into instructing only 3 years after leaving college.. got to start somewhere and experience isn't everything.. Potential has to be recognised), lets face it they're probably more "current" than most of us regarding best practice and more than that every video I see online shows things outside best practice!

 

However I agree that they should be closely monitored by experienced staff both in teaching and practically, and that site experience is key to learning.

 

Should we go back to forced work placement? or apprenticeships?

 

All students are required to find "work experience" however I fear most just get to pull brash.. I can get them doing that at college, how do they get a chance to work/climb without the productivity issue costing employers money/time?

[MWArb]

Very Good points.

 

The tutor's on the Courses should all have at least ten years experience on the Tools.I have heard that some of the assistants on some courses were actually last years Students.

 

There are some very good young people out there on the courses,however the gaps in knowledge of the graduates in staggering. I believe that in order to gain a ticket you should have demonstrate the operation in a production situation at a productive speed.

 

Not enough time is spent on the basic's so it seems.

 

Does this fall on the college system? or NPTC and Lantra themselves... are tickets too easy?

 

Is competence not enough?

 

Students working for peanuts to gain exp is just cheap labor and a minimum wage issue no? I feel the lines between "work experience" and "employment" need amending... do you all agree or are you just as responsible for the cheap labor culture?