A Challenging & Exciting Sustainable Career

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By Tony Lockey, Group Learning & Development Manager at BSW Timber Ltd

Three winners holding their dragon statue trophies — Dragon Den Event as part of training for new graduates in 2023 – winners of both 2023 events highlighted (Tilhill)

Why should I work in the land management sector and where do you start to get into a career in this sector?

These are questions that I am constantly asked as I attend career fairs & school events all across the UK. It is always surprising when I see the amount of exciting and incredible career opportunities that are open to all these days.

Our sector is instrumental in the transition of the world we live in to be more economically sustainable and rewarding through the growth and harvesting of timber.

In Tilhill (part of the BSW Group) we specialise in careers in trees & timber, and we actively look for, and bring in the best talent available to take on our roles. Our roles are highlighted below:

Timber Buyer
Forestry Manager
Forestry Harvester
Ecologist
Land Investment Management
Landscaping
Nursery Operations

The timber industry is big business, it covers harvesting, sawmilling and timber engineering operations. Perhaps you like being outdoors using machinery and getting your hands dirty, or maybe you prefer science or research in a lab. The timber industry offers some of the most varied jobs, covering a huge range of skills.

Roles vary outdoors, doing things like assessing the safety of trees, surveying patches of land, planning recreational uses and calculating the size of trees. Other jobs need a more strategic, consultative and managed approach such as forest manager or consultant.

Forest management involves technical and haulage activity on a specific woodland area, roles range from forest managers to machine operators, to chainsaw operators and timber lorry drivers who take the harvested product to the timber mills.

Forests do a great job of improving the quality of poorer soils and conifers particularly thrive on thin soil, so planting them can be one of the best ways to enrich our soil without disturbing other natural woodlands.

Our sawmills turn the felled trees into usable wood resources in state of the art manufacturing facilities. Living in a society with a high demand for wood-based products in buildings, outdoor farming operations and gardens this industry is seeing a growth like no other time.

The timber we use and manufacture into 300+ different products can replace the need to use other products such as concrete or steel. This means CO2 can be locked up in buildings reducing the need for more polluting materials. All the trees we plant and manage can absorb carbon and become a very sustainable and useful material. Working in the forestry sector means you can be part of this sustainable solution.

But there are also other roles in this sector such as Arboriculturist, Consultant and Tree Surgeon. So how do I get into these roles and what types of educational levels do I need? Here is a rough guide broken into national Qualifications for forestry roles:

In Tilhill, the UK’s leading provider of nature-based solutions we offer a range of graduate opportunities for those with drive, enthusiasm and passion to join us and become part of our team. We offer our employees a friendly and challenging work environment with fantastic personal and career development opportunities. Our graduates spend up to two years gaining a wealth of skills and knowledge that enables us to have a robust succession plan and the opportunity to deliver our customers the best service available.

There are a number of ways to get into the industry. Here are some quotes from our graduate students on how they came into our business:

Quote 1:
"Before I began with Tilhill, I had no idea how much I would enjoy forestry as a career. I obviously have a passion for trees and the environment, but in the short space of a year, I came to realise it isn’t just the day-to-day tasks, the driving to site, the meetings with contractors, the writing of forest plans and designing woodland creations that I enjoy about the job. The true passion for forestry comes in all the little things, the changing seasons, being amongst the trees, up the hills and along the riverbanks. Finding yourself surrounded by butterflies and bees. Conversations with contractors and the excitement of growing as a Forest manager alongside the trees planted in the ground. Taking it season by season.” - Paige Brown, Assistant Forest Manager, North Scotland

Quote 2:
“I graduated from Harper Adams University in 2021 and was delighted to be able to go straight into employment with Tilhill. I undertake site visits, keep site diaries up to date, work with contractors, carry out assessments and much more. The job is really varied and enables me to get out to site frequently. This is what I joined Tilhill for and can highly recommend considering forestry and harvesting as a career.” - Matthew Berg, Assistant Harvesting Manager, England

Quote 3:
“Since moving over from Ireland to work for Tilhill everyone always asks me what I do for work and I always reply with the same answer, “I work in forestry, and it’s brilliant.

Everyone I have spoken to that hears ‘forestry’ thinks it is just planting trees and watching them grow. But when they hear about all the different jobs we do and scenarios we come up against, I’ve yet to meet someone that doesn’t ask that extra question or does not want to know a little more.

Forestry is one of those jobs with lots of variability and rarely are two days the same, whether it’s looking after a restock site, a harvesting site or working on a Forest Plan. We’re always getting to meet people from all over the UK, from all walks of life and get to see some of the best scenery the UK has to offer (which is always a bonus!).” - Michael Brownrigg, Assistant Forest Manager, South Scotland Region

Group of people standing with three winners with dragon trophies — Dragon Den Event as part of training for new graduates in 2023 – winners of both 2023 events highlighted (Tilhill)

Quote 4:
“My journey with Tilhill began in November 2021, when I upped and left the South of England and relocated to Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland.

Before joining Tilhill I had spent a year as Patsy Wood Scholar, a position run through the Future Trees Trust in collaboration with W M Hamer and the Royal Forestry Society (RFS) covering all aspects of lowland forest management. It was a year spent immersed in alternative silviculture, and a beginning to honing my craft. Having completed the scholarship, I felt well-equipped for a productive career… although, I was intrigued to see what upland silviculture had to offer.” - James Cryer, Assistant Forest Manager, Wales & Marches

In summary, there are a multitude of different roles in the timber and forestry arena in both the public and private sectors. Gaining some hands-on work experience is a great way to help you understand the industry and to inspire you to venture into the forest. What is guaranteed is that a job in the timber and forestry sector is never the same each day and the benefits of the work you do promotes wellbeing for yourself and sustainability for a planet in need of some TLC.

Forge your future with BSW Timber at https://www.bsw.co.uk/careers

Find out more about Tilhill’s Forestry, Harvesting and Landscaping Jobs at https://www.tilhill.com/careers

First published in CJS Focus on Land and Habitat Management in association with the Landscape Institute on 5 June 2023. Read the full issue here