Apprenticeship in Arboriculture (Tree Surgery)
Forest and Garden Timber Services
GUILDFORD, GU3 3PB
Closes on Friday 30 May 2025
Posted on 10 February 2025
Contents
Summary
At Forest and Garden, we believe in taking young people, and helping them become all that they can be in the arboriculture industry. We work hard, but we have fun, plus we specialise in getting trees out of water courses, which is difficult, but interesting, different, and good fun too.
- Wage
-
£15,704 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
We will start operatives on the Apprentice minimum wage, but this will have scope to increase fairly quickly, depending on the operative’s level of effort and commitment.
- Training course
- Arborist (level 2)
- Hours
-
Number of Hours: 40
Lunch break length: 45mins - 1 hour.
Start Time: 7.45am
Finish Time: 5.00pm
40 hours a week
- Possible start date
-
Tuesday 1 July
- Duration
-
1 year 6 months
- Positions available
-
2
Work
As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.
What you’ll do at work
- Saw and equipment maintenance
- Cross cutting
- Felling
- Climbing
- Chipping
- Clearing up
- Driving trucks
- Clearing from water courses
Where you’ll work
HOLLOW FARM
HOLLY LANE
WORPLESDON
GUILDFORD
GU3 3PB
Training
An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.
College or training organisation
ACTIVATE LEARNING
Your training course
Arborist (level 2)
Equal to GCSE
Course contents
- Recognise health and safety needs onsite and work safely
- Complete site-specific risk assessments and emergency action plans
- Select appropriate equipment for tree work operations
- Set out workplace signage (highway & non highway) and assists with traffic control
- Process tree work arisings using appropriate machinery
- Maintain and take appropriate care of tools, equipment and other onsite factors (such as customer or public buildings etc.)
- Recognise a variety of tree species using common names
- Carry out a range of formative pruning operations
- Carry out branch removal up to 200mm diameter with hand tools (target pruning for final cut).
- Fell and process small trees up to 380mm diameter.
- Support aerial tree workers with transfer of equipment for aerial tree work operations
- Perform an aerial rescue of colleague from a rope and harness
- Work safely at height in the tree under supervision
- Communicate technical information about arboricultural operations to fellow team members, clients and other stakeholders as required.
- Recognise health and safety needs onsite and work safely
- Complete site-specific risk assessments and emergency action plans
- Select appropriate equipment for tree work operations
- Set out workplace signage (highway & non highway) and assists with traffic control
- Process tree work arisings using appropriate machinery
- Maintain and take appropriate care of tools, equipment and other onsite factors (such as customer or public buildings etc.)
- Recognise a variety of tree species using common names
- Carry out a range of formative pruning operations
- Carry out branch removal up to 200mm diameter with hand tools (target pruning for final cut).
- Fell and process small trees up to 380mm diameter.
- Support aerial tree workers with transfer of equipment for aerial tree work operations
- Perform an aerial rescue of colleague from a rope and harness
- Work safely at height in the tree under supervision
- Communicate technical information about arboricultural operations to fellow team members, clients and other stakeholders as required.
Your training plan
- Level 2 Arborist course 18 months
- Dedicated Performance Coach
- College - Merrist Wood - once a week in college
- Functional Skills Maths and English
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
- Maths and English (grade 3-4 (D-C))
Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
- Good head for heights
Other requirements
DBS checks will be carried out as we work at a lot of schools. It is a very tough job, both physically and mentally. You only get out, what you put in.
About this company
Family tree surgery business, established in 1979, primarily working for local authorities, and specialising in water-based tree work.
After this apprenticeship
- For the right person, there will of course be the possibility of full-time employment after finishing the apprenticeship. This could lead to further qualifications, subject to work requirements of the candidate.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
ACTIVATE LEARNING
Jenny Hyam
faculty.enrolments@activateapprenticeships.co.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000302265.
Apply now
Closes on Friday 30 May 2025
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