College course or otherwise?

[JJW]

Currently living in Bristol looking to change to an arb career - seeing as I have no qualifications yet I need to decide on which one to do - there seem to be loads of different options.

I'm origionally from Ipswich and have family there so I'm looking at moving back home to go to college with a view to getting an apprentiship when I can. Has anyone been to Otley & Easton college, or know how their courses stack up against the expensive intensive courses avaliable elseware?

 

Cheers

[Troska]

Hey,

 

I've just finished my first week at Otley college studying the level 3 extended diploma in Arboriculture and Forestry. It's a 3 day a week course but I do know that the college others 10 week intensive courses, so if you decide going down that route you'll be good to go into the industry. Depending on how old you are the fees for the course will differ. I can't really say how the courses from other colleges stand because I'm very new to Arboriculture myself so hopefully someone will give you that information. If you don't drive then there are buses from Ipswich that will take you directly to the college.

[Dutchy]

The content of the courses should all be the same and the assessors are all standardised through City & Guilds, so the best way to pick is what will suit your circumstances best. Can you afford to take 10 weeks off to study, or would it be better to get the basic 5 day chainsaw + wood chipper under your belt so you can get some work as a groundsman and then add on skills as you get the money and experience? Otley and BTS both have a good reputation in that local area, so it comes down to what mode of training will suit your circumstances best I think.

 

Good luck with the new career.

[10 Bears]

Sorry but IMO if you follow Dutchy's advice about just getting a few tickets, you will end up as just another chopper who may be able to climb but cant ID one stick from another or understand remediation options and has no real solutions to daily problems.

 

Get yourself trained to the degree you are happy with - then go out and make an impact on the landscape. Hopefully, making informed decisions rather than just, 'fell it and run'

[Steve Bullman]

Sorry but IMO if you follow Dutchy's advice about just getting a few tickets, you will end up as just another chopper who may be able to climb but cant ID one stick from another or understand remediation options and has no real solutions to daily problems.

 

Get yourself trained to the degree you are happy with - then go out and make an impact on the landscape. Hopefully, making informed decisions rather than just, 'fell it and run'

 

Thats not entirely fair. A lot has to do with the company you work with after you get the tickets. Its them that will shape you into the arborist you will become.

[foxforestry]

Very true indeed Steve

[Luckyeleven]

Sorry but IMO if you follow Dutchy's advice about just getting a few tickets, you will end up as just another chopper who may be able to climb but cant ID one stick from another or understand remediation options and has no real solutions to daily problems.

 

Get yourself trained to the degree you are happy with - then go out and make an impact on the landscape. Hopefully, making informed decisions rather than just, 'fell it and run'

 

 

I think this is more than a little unfair, You could completely flip the coin on this saying "Its all very well having all the paper qualifications but unless you have the practical skills to put your knowledge into action, you will never be able to implement remediation options and will never be able to carry out real solutions to daily problems"

 

Customer is King, if he wants it felled, most of the time hes going to pay you or someone else to do it, regardless of our opinions.

[10 Bears]

I have my opinion and you are entitled to yours - that is the nature of opinions, they don't always agree as they are based on the sum total of individual experiences, interpretation of significance, individual bias and personal expectations.

 

To answer Steve, yes, my comments may not be entirely fair as, of course, the OP may turn out to be highly skilled and knowledgeable in 10 years time with a lot of work by the employer put in - *BUT* I am always weary of comments that say, 'get some tickets and crack on! you will be fine...' (paraphrase of Dutchy) as both in both my opinion and experience, that this type of worker within the industry causes more problems then they are worth. Hence my comment to seek training to the degree they are happy with ie get some knowledge and skills until you are happy to go out and do the job. Therefore not becoming just another cut and run jockey. I also don't believe that it is wholly the role of the employer to shape you to become anything - it is down to your own efforts and interest in your work that shapes you into who or what type of worker you are.

 

For 11's view - I agree on the whole with what you are saying and that is my point actually i.e. get knowledge and skills together, over just doing a few tickets and bashing on. There is the scope that the employer can train you as you go - but as said above, it is not all up to the employer to give you the knowledge - you have to engage yourself for best impact.

 

11 also says customer is king, and that is true in one sense, but I have walked away from many jobs as it was just not the right thing to do in my opinion - despite the customers insistence. I don't do topping. I will not just dump the JKN over the fence or down the bottom of the lane. If TM is needed to protect my workforce, it will be put in and used - not just a couple of cones out and the trucks parked in a fend-off position etc. At that point I walk away from the customer and let the cut and run jockeys come in to make their few quid on the job.

 

As said, these are my opinions...