Careers in the Trees
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By Dr Rob Hawkins, Senior Education & Outreach Officer
The importance of trees has become increasingly evident in recent years. The effects of climate change are now being seen throughout the world. As trees grow, they sequester carbon and this carbon stays locked up in the tree while it is alive, potentially for hundreds of years. If the wood is used to make products, that carbon is stored there too. Timber and other wood products are not only used widely in construction (locking that carbon away) but are found in goods we all use daily in our lives. Green space also has a huge benefit to both people’s mental and overall health, woodlands, and the biodiversity they are managed to maintain, has a huge role to play in that. The UK and devolved governments have set ambitious planting targets that need to be met and it will take an expanded, skilled workforce to achieve those targets.
So, it is a great time to get into the sector. Working in the forestry sector gives you a varied career scope. It offers a diverse range of roles, from forest pathologist, forest ranger or forest manager to arboriculturist, ecologist, urban forester or biodiversity officer. Long gone are the days of the stereotypical image of a burly lumberjack wielding a chainsaw, forests and woodlands are still managed for timber production, but it is a high-tech industry and you are just as likely to come across drone pilots surveying woodlands as you are a chainsaw operator.
There are an increasing number of ways to become a tree professional, there is no right way or wrong way, and many of the options are designed with flexibility in mind, and routes do vary depending on where you reside in the country. Education provision is a devolved power so each government of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland decide on educational policy. The traditional academic route into the sector is via college or university and is still an option for many. You can find more details on our website.
Apprenticeships vary from country to country within the UK.
In England, apprenticeships are designed with the help of the employers in the industry, so they offer a structured programme that takes you through the skills you need to do a job well. There are targets and checks to make sure that your employer is supporting you and you are making progress. You will be in employment for most of your time as most training takes place on the job, 20% of your time will be off-the-job training on day release or over a number of days in a block. There is a Level 2 Arborist; Level 3 Forest Craftsperson; Level 4 Arboriculturist and degree-level apprenticeships; the Level 6 Professional Forester and Level 6 Professional Arboriculturist.
In Scotland apprenticeship content is defined in documents called ‘Frameworks’, which are designed by a Sector Skills Council (in this case Lantra Scotland acts as the Sector Skills Council) in partnership with industry and training providers. They contain a package of learning including a large competence qualification called an SVQ. This has core skills and optional units that allow the training provider to tailor the learning programme to the needs of your organisation, or the apprentice’s specific role. The training provider will help you to decide which framework is most relevant to the job and will incorporate optional units relevant to your organisation. You can search for available apprenticeships in Scotland here.
In Wales, as in Scotland, the content is defined in documents called ‘Frameworks’, which are designed by the Sector Skills Council in partnership with industry and training providers. They contain a package of learning including a large competence qualification for example a Diploma in Work Based Trees and Timber. This has core skills and optional units that allow the training provider to tailor the learning programme to the needs of your organisation, or the apprentice’s specific role. The training provider will help you to decide which framework is most relevant to the job and will incorporate optional units relevant to your organisation.
Career change?
There is no one-size-fits-all approach for somebody who is considering a career change, it very much depends on an individual’s personal circumstances, prior knowledge, experience and so on. If you have a degree in a related area such as geography, you may be able to apply for jobs directly, or you may benefit from a short training course to update your knowledge. In England, the new higher-level apprenticeships are designed to be able to work whilst studying, so will suit many and they are not age limited like previous apprenticeships used to be. Part-time and distance learning options are available on some of the bachelor’s and master’s degree courses.
For job adverts, the Institute’s Job board, often used as an indicator of the sector’s buoyant job market, is the go-to place. There you will find all the latest vacancy information on a range of jobs across the sector.
Whichever route you choose, remember many of the jobs in the tree sector are practical outdoor ones and hands-on experience will really help. Even in the more office-based roles, an understanding of what it is like to work in the field is beneficial. Why not look for opportunities to gain some work experience, either through a placement opportunity or as a volunteer at your local community woodland, forest, or conservation group?
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