How do i begin? UK advice please

[treebor]

Hi, I am from the UK and i know there are some other brits who post here so i wondered if you could help me out with some advice.

I would like to become an Arborist but i'm not sure how to get into it as i have none of the qualifications or experience needed and i can't get an Arborist job without those 2 things.

How did you guys start out? Did you get the qualifications (chainsaw and aerial rescue) before your first Arb job, or did you do it differently?

I'd imagine even doing voluntary work for experience is out of the question without the certificates too.

I've got that Tree Climbers companion book on the way, the one that is highly reccomended around here and i have a lot of web resources.

My goal is to get an Arb job in the 2nd half of this year if its possible and so i came here to see if you can help me out with some tips.

Thanks,

Treebor

 

[Mr_Brushcutter]

Hi

I'm finding it a catch 22 situation geting into tree work. Can't get experence without the job, can't get the job with the experence. I decided that it was what i wanted to do so went and did my CS38 and the 30 and 31. I had to pay for it all my self but i think its a way of showing any potential employer i'm serious, i own my own kit as well.

I haven't managed to get any experence working with a 'proper' tree company but i've been working doing pollards for the charity i work for. I've gone and watched a few guys climb and work in the trees round my way which has been educational.

I don't know about working as a volunteer there might be insurance issues, its something i'd consider doing. I'd quite happy go and work for some of the brit guys on here for free. Hell if they let me climb i'd probally have to pay them 100 quid a day because i'm compentent just not at a comerical speed yet!

I know places like Capel Mannor do a 10 week course with lots of practical experence. They also do a year or 2 year course that covers the basics of the practical, theory and tree biology. They do placements so you get the industry experence.

I'd currently finnishing my degree in Geography but after that i'm going to do the ABC certificate in Arboculture so i can get the theory side of the business down as well. Just one thing to think about is that there normally a backlog on training, a friends just booked her CS30 for June which was the earliest slot! CS38 is apparently harder to get on, i managed to get a cancilation for my space! Thats just my experence at Capel though

 

[Climb020]

Look for small companys, 2-6 guys. Most will pick you up as a ground guy and then you can learn as you go. That is what I did. I got in with a guy with a business by himself and he needed a ground guy. After 4 months of watching I was able to get up. And now almost 2 years later I am getting ready to compete this summer.
Stick with it and keep looking.

 

[DeanBrown3D]

Whats the law on starting your own business in the UK and working just by yourself? My brother came to visit me in the USA, and brought a Stihl, and got it back to England, and now he's working for people doing gardening and other odd jobs outside. I doubt he has any idea about certification. Should I be warning him about something?

I know that if I were there, I wouldn't give a flying :censored:, at least until the old bill came by.

Dean

 

[Mr_Brushcutter]

Whats the law on starting your own business in the UK and working just by yourself? My brother came to visit me in the USA, and brought a Stihl, and got it back to England, and now he's working for people doing gardening and other odd jobs outside. I doubt he has any idea about certification. Should I be warning him about something?

I know that if I were there, I wouldn't give a flying :censored:, at least until the old bill came by.

Dean

Over hear you need a national certifiacte in compertence to operate a chainsaw, climb or do any other arb work. The only two things you can do without any certificates are grind stumps and use chippers. Basicly if you get an inspection from the HSE and one of your guys get found using a chainsaw with the certificate your in trouble since you've broken the PUWE regulatons!

Again to start your business you need insurance that covers you for tree work amd there are only 2 companies that take on new people at the moment. In the inusrance form the ask for you NPTC units and when you got them. and now to make things more complex you need a waste carrying licence to carry waste from your job to your dumping ground!

 

[clearance]

Certificate of competence to run a chainsaw and climb.hmmm, pretty soon that will be happening in Canada, we already have the British disease, sadly. How many people here went to school to learn this? I know that weekend warriors cut themselves constantly but still. Where does it stop? Certificate to climb out of bed?

 

[Mr_Brushcutter]

Certificate of competence to run a chainsaw and climb.hmmm, pretty soon that will be happening in Canada, we already have the British disease, sadly. How many people here went to school to learn this? I know that weekend warriors cut themselves constantly but still. Where does it stop? Certificate to climb out of bed?

Thats the problem over here its not going to stop! Pole saws chainsaw on a stick things currently don't fall under any NPTC unit. Of course pole saw when used right are great, however the NPTC have decided that you will soon need a certificate to operate these.

Whats worse is the price of all these courses for basic chainsaw and felling of tree upto 15" will set you back nearly $1000 same for the climbing and another $500 or so for the using a saw from a rope and harness. Most of these are a week long intensive training course, which probally isn't the best way to learn.

Check out www.nptc.org.uk for what we have to do to qualify as compenent! and the number of units you need to take to do anything legaly.

 

[smokechase II]

Training is a bad thing

Clearance:
Come on, if you want a quality effort at anything, you start with training then testing then certification then experience. Learning on the job, exclusively, means more funerals for young men.
Just look at the fatality rates that we used to have in the US PNW and now have in BC. Gypo operations are fun if you live to tell about it.
An official, standardized training program as a place to start, is a great thing. It's not the only thing, but it is where we need to start.
The reason this certification stuff has caught on in the arborist world is that arborists generally kill themselves in front of the public. Loggers kill themselves with just their buddies around.

 

[clearance]

I understand your concern and where you are coming from but just because you go to school....can't hurt but look at the retards running our countries. In regards to fallers getting killed here there are many factors involved, it isn't usually new or young guys, most are 40-60 years old and very experienced fallers. Ultimately I guess you are right, I was trained by competetent serious guys, some are not so fortunate.