life after climbing

[born2trot]

Getting a desk job in higher management appears to be everybody's get of climbing plan. In my honest opinion keep that money you'll spend on a level 6 qualification and put it into a retirement fund it'll be more use.

These jobs are few and far between.

 

My thoughts to ..

[skyhuck]

I think climbings the easy bit, its dragging brash and humping logs that kills me.

[Ty Korrigan]

Quotes, stump grinding, groundwork, maintenance, management...

I last climbed in November and that was to train a student in branch walking.

 

(I don't count small tree work as climbing...)

Ty

Edited February 15, 2015 by Ty Korrigan
Getting facts straight...

[jaime bray]

I think its fair to say as in many industries but particularly arb that once a climber gets to the end of the climbing career they depart for a different industry if there is no pathway into a company with broader career opportunities or post climber supervisory roles. Whilst this results in a huge loss of skill set to the industry it seems to be the accepted practice and is such a shame.

 

The trick is to plan for this moment, you need to ask yourself if you could work for somebody else or are you a lone soldier. This will enable you to direct your route in a way that will permit you too stay in the industry if you want.

 

Can you carry out tree reports, mortgage surveys, development survey work without qualifications? Do you need the quals or can you just read up about it and start consulting? This i suppose is similar to the question; do I need chainsaw certs to be a tree surgeon in the sense of being self employed and making a living. It may be the case that you only need level 5-6 quals if you end up in court defending your advise etc. read up about it and go from there,

 

I always envisaged having kids that would want to be tree surgeons, and they take over my business giving me an income and early retirement, I' had two girls and a boy, the girls aren't interested yet,(11 &9) the boy loves it, but he's only four.

 

My other desire for offering them a job was to guarantee that they had an avenue to work when leaving school if they didn't develop academically as well as they needed to.

So on this basis,I looked at setting up own consultancy practice, at worst to offer them admin work as girls didn't like manual aspect, yet.

 

I have nd arb 1996, but wanted to be academically defendable should I go to court. So I went and did rfs cert arb to refresh memory, then did tech cert followed immediately by pd arb old format before it changed. This also gave me an insurance policy to go into lecturing should I have unfortunate accident.

 

I have a close friend in the industry that taught me and came to work for me eventually. Whilst he worked for me I offered him tech cert study but he couldn't commit to it as he wanted to be free lance and earn more money. He never achieved a academic qual and is now very battered. He applies for jobs at large estates with estate skills etc but is declined due to having little academic quals.

I see this and feel for him, but am glad that I took the opportunity to achieve pd arb when I did. I do feel that it puts my mind at rest knowing I have other avenues of employment in industry still, which are likely to be associated with attaining these quals.

 

So what has achieving level 6 qual given me?

Opportunity to establish a consultancy practice, in the confidence that I know the nuts and bolts and have been assessed at this level of academia to boost that confidence.

Thus giving my children an opportunity for apossible career should they wish to.

An insurance policy in the sense of lecturing or consultancy or training etc.

Many other things to many to list, but I know that I do not regret doing what I did.

 

It is too easy to not attain academic qualifications that may just give you the edge over somebody else at interview or be of assistance in defending your knowledge in court. If you are thinking about it then you are in the right path as this is the first recognition of it before its too late.

Edited February 15, 2015 by jaime bray

[nailer]

I think climbings the easy bit, its dragging brash and humping logs that kills me.

 

Ha! ain't that true. Since last year age for me has become a big factor. I've tried to arrange my biz so I don't have to do any ground work, very little office work, no phone calls... and no driving trucks from the yard to load up kit and unload at the end of the day. now got loads more energy free time and enthusiasm for the climbing. bit of physio has helped a lot too.

[Mountain man]

I think climbings the easy bit, its dragging brash and humping logs that kills me.

 

I agree.

[Tree Lc]

This is a great thread. It is difficult as sometimes your 'passion' just cannot make a living for you but in your case, it sounds like your passion, tree surgery, will indeed make you a living and a good one at that. Your game plan sounds great and I take my hat off to you. Go for it and become the instructor of all instructors. Life is about passion and living to the max.

Tree LC

Tree surgery Horsham

[James Atkinson]

For me I want to climb for as long as I can, so I think it's very important to keep up to date with the latest gear, make the job as easy as possible for myself. When I get old I'll cut out the big trees, do some hedge cutting, grass cutting. I guess it helps that I'm not that money orientated so I'm not that bothered if I do a job at less pay either. That's my plan anyway haha

[CJM]

I think its fair to say as in many industries but particularly arb that once a climber gets to the end of the climbing career they depart for a different industry if there is no pathway into a company with broader career opportunities or post climber supervisory roles. Whilst this results in a huge loss of skill set to the industry it seems to be the accepted practice and is such a shame.

 

The trick is to plan for this moment, you need to ask yourself if you could work for somebody else or are you a lone soldier. This will enable you to direct your route in a way that will permit you too stay in the industry if you want.

 

Can you carry out tree reports, mortgage surveys, development survey work without qualifications? Do you need the quals or can you just read up about it and start consulting? This i suppose is similar to the question; do I need chainsaw certs to be a tree surgeon in the sense of being self employed and making a living. It may be the case that you only need level 5-6 quals if you end up in court defending your advise etc. read up about it and go from there,

 

I always envisaged having kids that would want to be tree surgeons, and they take over my business giving me an income and early retirement, I' had two girls and a boy, the girls aren't interested yet,(11 &9) the boy loves it, but he's only four.

 

My other desire for offering them a job was to guarantee that they had an avenue to work when leaving school if they didn't develop academically as well as they needed to.

So on this basis,I looked at setting up own consultancy practice, at worst to offer them admin work as girls didn't like manual aspect, yet.

 

I have nd arb 1996, but wanted to be academically defendable should I go to court. So I went and did rfs cert arb to refresh memory, then did tech cert followed immediately by pd arb old format before it changed. This also gave me an insurance policy to go into lecturing should I have unfortunate accident.

 

I have a close friend in the industry that taught me and came to work for me eventually. Whilst he worked for me I offered him tech cert study but he couldn't commit to it as he wanted to be free lance and earn more money. He never achieved a academic qual and is now very battered. He applies for jobs at large estates with estate skills etc but is declined due to having little academic quals.

I see this and feel for him, but am glad that I took the opportunity to achieve pd arb when I did. I do feel that it puts my mind at rest knowing I have other avenues of employment in industry still, which are likely to be associated with attaining these quals.

 

So what has achieving level 6 qual given me?

Opportunity to establish a consultancy practice, in the confidence that I know the nuts and bolts and have been assessed at this level of academia to boost that confidence.

Thus giving my children an opportunity for apossible career should they wish to.

An insurance policy in the sense of lecturing or consultancy or training etc.

Many other things to many to list, but I know that I do not regret doing what I did.

 

It is too easy to not attain academic qualifications that may just give you the edge over somebody else at interview or be of assistance in defending your knowledge in court. If you are thinking about it then you are in the right path as this is the first recognition of it before its too late.

 

 

I see your point but will a level 6 qualification actually help you in court???

How many arborist a year go to court because of advice that they've gave?

Surely that's why you get public indemnity insurance.

A national diploma is the equivalent to A levels that would keep you in good stead incase you go to court.

That money would be better invested in other things

[devon TWiG]

I was a full time climber for about 20 years and had no aches pains etc , just got a bit fed up with it day in day out ,also like others have said the ground work is often harder !! I went in to a management type job and phcking hated it !!! dealing with people and not trees was **** , always on the phone , trying to use a computer and spending time in an office and could not believe how easily some people could be "so " offended by my lack of political correctness and general uncivilised manner ( after 20 years working with " lads " ) Also the unbelievable increase in H&S, so I took my HGV test , and for the last 10-12 years have been doing that part time with agencies , some tree work and also woodcraft work ( turning , carving etc ) and have a lot of time off in summer to "play " and this suits me very well at the moment !! I really enjoyed being in the Arb industry but things seem very different nowadays and have no regrets doing other stuff now .