Arboriculturist

This role is found in arboriculture, utility, facilities management, and grounds maintenance sectors, including local authorities, consultancies, commercial firms, and charities. Arboriculturists conduct tree inspections and surveys, manage tree databases, and evaluate trees, focusing on common scenarios but receiving support for complex cases like ancient or culturally significant trees. They oversee contractors, ensuring safety and work quality, and comply with tree-related legislation and approvals. They offer advice on tree management and legal issues, manage woodlands, oversee budgets, apply for grants, prepare quotes, and handle client relationships. Daily interactions include working with colleagues, the public, clients, landowners, legal and insurance professionals, and infrastructure managers such as utility and transportation companies.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for:

• Assessing tree health and risk
• Managing contractors
• Dealing with complaints
• Understanding and applying law relating to trees
• Planning and prioritising survey requirements to ensure work delivery and discharge of legal Duty of Care and to prepare and assess planning applications
• Complying with legislation and regulation regarding trees, woodlands and forests to include tree preservation orders, conservation zones, felling licenses and other designations.

What apprentices will learn

• British Standards relevant to arboricultural works including 3998 (tree works) and 5837 (trees in relation to design, demolition and construction).
• Principles of tree growth, physiology, characteristics and reaction to pruning.
• The life stages of a tree including propagation techniques, aging process, deadwood habitats and veteran tree management.
• Characteristics of tree pests and pathogens, their impact on the tree health and performance, and management responses.
• Principles of soil science.
• Hazard assessment methodologies in relation to a single tree.
• Basic principles of woodland management.
• Types of tree works related to tree form, function, and client expectation, their specification and implications for tree health, safety and aesthetics.
• Classification of trees and their taxonomy; application of nomenclature (including cultivars where appropriate) per scientific convention.
• Implications of legislation and industry best practice guidance when undertaking tree work operations and their impact on team management, policy and process for example H&S Act, specialist training requirements, Working at Height, LOLER, PUWER, AFAG, COSSH.
• Considerations when planting trees including planting systems, site factors, species selection, protection, aftercare and British Standard 8545.
• Tree bracing styles, systems and uses.
• Tree inventory systems and their uses.
• Types of advanced diagnostic systems and their purpose in assessment of tree risk.
• The legal framework around trees including statutory protection for trees and penalties associated with breaches of legislation and regulations.
• Health and Safety legislation and regulations; principles related to work placed risk assessment and management, including method statements.
• Conflicts between trees and the built environment including damage (direct or indirect) to infrastructure and subsidence.
• Benefits of trees (for example climate change adaptation, carbon sequestration, human health and wellbeing) and how these could influence management decisions.
• Tree valuation systems, methodologies and their purposes.
• The role of an arboriculturist and how this occupation collaborates with other professions for example engineers, land managers, ecologists, landscape architects and planners.
• The principles for resilient tree populations and the application of biosecurity.
• The characteristics of ancient trees, veteran trees and trees of historical or cultural significance.
• Sources of information on funding schemes for tree planting and management
• Project Management principles including working within budget, systems and processes.
• Contractual terms and processes for example the role of the client brief, the fee proposal, the scope and the instruction.
• Tendering, procurement processes and scoring systems.
• Principles and use of different communication tools.
• Principles of customer service including confidentiality, data management, complaints and use of social media.
• Principles of sales and marketing both direct service promotion and indirect industry promotion.
• Roles of different stakeholders for example client, public, councillors in management of trees and techniques for engaging with the community.
• Staff and team management principles including motivation, performance and work quality.
• Principles of equality, safeguarding and diversity.
• Principles of managing and supporting meetings.
• Sources of information and techniques to research, collate and analyse arboricultural information and data.
• The purpose and function of tree management plans and strategies and their implications for tree management.
• Methods for establishing and monitoring quality standards for tree work operations.
• Methodologies, techniques and tools for inspection and measurement of trees.

Delivery Model

Delivery will be conducted with a mixture of block delivery on college campus, virtual sessions and a number of site visits, seminars and guest lectures.

Maths and English assessment 

Apprentices who are unable to evidence previous English or maths GCSE (or equivalent) at grade 4/C at point of enrolment will be required to attend Functional Skills classes and achieve the necessary level to complete their apprenticeship.

Job role and experience suitability assessment

Apprentices must be employed in a role with duties that will allow the development of the necessary skills, knowledge and behaviours. To qualify for apprenticeship funding the apprentice must develop significant new skills and knowledge on the programme.

Desired previous Level 3 Arboriculture qualification or conserable experience within the industry

To enrol onto an apprenticeship programme you need to be employed with a contract of employment. If you have an employer lined up or are already employed please contact our Business Services team on 01273 892127 or via email.

If you do not currently have an employer please visit the main Apprenticeships page for guidance on how to find and apply for an apprenticeship opportunity or register for our Talent Bank service.

If you are an employer and would like to recruit or enrol an existing employee onto an apprenticeship please contact our Business Services team on  01273 892127 or via email.