If you adore the great outdoors and land you might consider becoming a tree surgeon or arborist. There is much more to this role than first meets the eye, and so you need to do your research first. Follow our guidance, which will help you take the first steps towards a career in this exciting industry.
What entry requirements do you need?
Before you undertake any professional training, you need to make sure that you have what it takes to succeed. If you want to sculpt a career in this industry, you need to enjoy hands-on work and working outside. Aside from these attributes, you should be comfortable working at great heights as this will be an integral part of the job. If you want to undertake a college course, you will need some GCSEs in relevant subjects. If you want to undertake a degree, you will also need three A levels.
“Typically the industry would expect Chainsaw Maintenance & Crosscutting (NPTC 0020-03, formerly CS30), Felling & Processing Trees Up To 380mm (NPTC 0020-04, formerly CS31), Tree Climbing & Aerial Rescue (NPTC 0020-13, formerly CS38) and Aerial Cutting (NPTC 0021-08, formerly CS39). However, there may be other requirements such as Safe Use of Woodchippers, etc. that are deemed as useful and appropriate. There is also a fairly well-worn path through these Certificates Of Competence as some are prerequisites for others. One point to note though is that the short courses provide a route to the practical assessment but underpinning knowledge for wider arboricultural issues (tree biology, pests, and diseases, plant taxonomy, etc.) is rarely included.” – Linkedin – Dee Vickers
What UK courses are available?
If you look online, there is a broad range of courses at your fingertips. Myerscough College, for example, is a specialist institute that offers courses in arboriculture. If you hope to take your education to the next level, you may want to gain a foundation degree in a subject such as countryside management. This qualification will provide an excellent base should you decide to go to university and complete a degree. Aside from these courses, you may want to take the apprenticeship route. That means that you will undertake a diploma in trees and timber during your placement.
What are the main duties of the role?
Once you have qualified, you can work as a tree surgeon. Your daily activities will be highly active. Your duties may include things like general pest control, planting shrubs and hazard assessment. You will also need to make sure that you are ready to prune, inspect and care for trees and will need to be comfortable using chainsaw and rigging equipment.
What is The Best Starting Position?
“You need to start as a Groundsman’s and gain experience after a year or two when you know the groundwork inside and out and if you still like the industry then do an apprenticeship. Too many crap climbers skip the groundwork stage but if you can’t do all aspects of the job you shouldn’t be doing it at all. Take your time and learn properly! inexperienced guys die all the time in this game. Also once qualified you to need to travel and experience real trees not just pollarding plane trees in London (typical English tree work) As to the $ in Australia a good contract climber can make between £500 and £700 a day with own insurance and tools. or £30 to £50 an hour for wages. Sky’s the limit (or bankruptcy) for your own business. Also, take care of your knees hips and back because this industry is very hard on your body.” – Arborists Online
Income and working hours
Of course, before you start qualifying for this role, you need to know what income you can expect. Initially, you may earn a starting salary of around £16,000 p/a. As you gain experience, though, you can demand more money for your efforts. After some years, you will likely earn between £21,000 and £25,000 p/a. It is likely that you will work 40+ hours per week, including some weekend work. When you have a wealth of experience, you may decide to go it alone and become self-employed or even start an agency. Arbjobs is a good resource for tree surgeons and arboriculture related vacancies.
How dangerous is the job?
Much of the time, you will need to work from some serious heights. That is what makes this role so dangerous. You will have to deal with a range of harsh weather conditions while operating heavy-duty machinery and have a working knowledge of specialist tree surgeon equipment. It is crucial that you are agile and capable of multitasking if you want to take on a role of this nature.
Conclusion
We hope we’ve answered the question of how to become a tree surgeon. Before you embark on any new career, it is always important to check out your many options. Becoming a tree surgeon or arborist is a massive commitment, and so you need to make sure that it’s the right one for you before you begin. With any luck, our guidance should give you an idea of whether this career is right for you or not.