Further Education
Carolyne Locher takes a look at some of the courses available.
2009 will see changes taking place in some forestry and arboricultural courses. New diplomas in landbased studies are being trialed at specially selected educational establishments in September. The vocational work-based Apprenticeship and Modern Apprenticeship ‘learning bundles’ will be reviewed later this year. In 2010 the Foundation Learning Tier will replace both the BTEC Introductory Certificate and BTEC Introductory Diploma.

Levels 1-8 of the National Qualifications Framework are used as the benchmark in the education grid accompanying this roundup. It shows levels of education and the career options available within the industry at that level. In addition to the courses outlined in this article, many of the colleges offer short courses for those wanting to achieve additional skills
and Certificates of Competence during their career. These will be covered in greater depth in the training provider roundup in the June issue of Forestry Journal.

University of Aberdeen
Aberdeen offers three forestry degrees. The Forestry BScFor (Hons) (4 yrs) and the BSc Forest Sciences (4 yrs) are both accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters, giving
students full exemption from the Part I examinations.

Aberdeen’s BSc (Hons) Forest Conservation (4 yrs) follows similar subjects as the other degrees in Years 1 and 2. Year 3 offers additional topics such as biological conservation in the tropics and tropical forest ecology and management. Year 4 students have to select four
specialist subjects and prepare a research project. All degrees include a field trip to the Black Forest in southern Germany.

Approximately half of Aberdeen’s graduates have gone on to work as foresters within the state and private sectors in Britain with the remainder going to urban, environmental, or
social forestry, timber processing, forest management overseas, and research.
01224 272090/91 www.abdn.ac.uk/sras

Barony College, Dumfries
The first year National Certificate Forestry (30 wks) gives students a broad knowledge of forestry topics at Craft Level. In the second year, students follow a specialism leading to the National Diploma in either Forestry or Arboriculture. Combining college-based instruction with practical work-site experience, the National Diploma in Forestry (Forest Machine Operations)
(30 wks) prepares students to enter employment with basic engineering skills and knowledge of forest machine operations. After completion of the National Diploma or SVQ, students can study the Higher National Certificate or Higher National Diploma at Inverness College or Newton Rigg.

Barony has established links with colleges in Sweden and Finland, providing opportunities for exchange trips to Scandinavia. Work-based training, leading to an SVQ level 2 in Arboriculture, is also available. 01387 860251 www.barony.ac.uk

Cannington Centre, Bridgwater College, Somerset
The Cannington Centre for Landbased Studies offers an Arboriculture C&G National Certificate (1 yr) covering aspects of the industry at Craft Level. The Level 3 BTEC National Award in Arboriculture (1 yr) offers students the chance to learn additional skills in tree surveys and reports, putting theory and skills to the test through work-related experience in the arb and forestry industry. Students with aspirations to become managers within the arb industry can progress from the National Award directly onto the second year of the BTEC National Diploma in Arboriculture (2 yrs). Course study includes the ecology of trees, forests and woodlands,
and habitat management.

The Technician’s Certificate in Arboriculture (Theory) (1 yr f/t) is administered by ABC on behalf of the Royal Forestry Society (RFS) and covers six study units. NPTC certificates are taken as required, and this course is a useful first step for those that may go on to take the RFS’s Professional Diploma in Arboriculture. 01278 441234 www.bridgwater.ac.uk

Capel Manor College, Enfield,
Capel offers a full-time First Diploma in Countryside and Environment (1 yr) designed for 16- to 19-year olds seeking basic and practical knowledge of the arboriculture or countryside industries. Successful students may progress to the BTEC Nationals (Award, Certificate and eventually Diploma) in either Arboriculture or Countryside Management.

Students enrolled on the National Certificate in Forestry and Arboriculture (2 yrs p/t) can progress directly to the second year of the BTEC National Diploma Forestry & Arboriculture or the ABC Technicians’ Certificate in arboriculture or into Higher Education (FdSc or BSc degrees). All three courses are designed to give students the skills to take up a responsible management post within the industry.

Launched in 2007, Capel’s Apprenticeship in Arboriculture (2 yrs) is open to all arboriculture
employees. Students with GCSE grades D to F (or above), a Distinction on Level 1 skills courses, or APL for mature students, are admitted to the course.
08456 122 122 www.capel.ac.uk

Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor, Gwynedd, North Wales
A bilingual college, Meirion-Dwyfor offers the First Diploma in Forestry and Countryside Management (1 yr). On completion, students can start the work-related BTEC National Diploma in Forestry and Countryside Management (2 yrs).

Course assignments and project assessments are based on realistic work situations and activities. Study trips and industry visits form an essential part of students’ development, with opportunities to gain additional qualifications in ‘Using a Chainsaw’ and ‘Using Pesticides’.
On the ‘learn-while-youearn’ assessment-based Forestry (Establishment and Maintenance)
NVQ 2 (2 yrs p/t), students work (or have work experience) for two or three days per week. Study units include health and safety, control of local pollution incidents and planting and post-planting protection. 01286 830261 www.meirion-dwyfor.ac.uk

Holme Lacy, Herefordshire
The Apprenticeship in Forestry and Arboriculture (2 yrs block release) can be taken as part of an Apprenticeship Scheme. Students may progress to an Advanced Apprenticeship or the BTEC National Award in Forestry and Arboriculture (Arboriculture) (1 yr/2 days per wk) where units include forest plant ecology, business management, and tree felling and chainsaw use.

The C&G National Certificate in Horticulture/Arboriculture (1 yr) provides an introduction to the arbori culture industry, with Certificates of Competence included in the programme of study. The BTEC National Diploma in Forestry (Arboriculture) (2 yrs) covers a variety of subjects and aims to give graduates the skills to find employment within the public sector, or with organisations concerned with managing the natural environment, or work for themselves.

The HND in Sustainable Woodland Management (2 yrs) is designed to develop the vocational
skills required for a career in occupations such as forestry, nature conservation, and arboriculture, and successful students can move on to the top-up BSc (Hons) in Sustainable
Woodland Management (3rd year). The BTEC National Diploma Level 3 Land-Based Technology (Agricultural Engineering) (2 yrs) is delivered through a combination of practical workshop lessons, theory and work experience. Students are also offered the opportunity of
obtaining PUWER Abrasive Wheels, MHSR Risk Assessment, COSHH Regulations, and Manual Handling Operations Regulations.
0800 032 1986 www.hct.ac.uk

Merrist Wood Campus, Guildford The Forestry and Arboriculture National Certificate (I yr) is suitable for anyone wanting to gain practical training and knowledge of arboriculture at Craft Level. For experienced workers unable to commit to full-time study, the Arboriculture Certificate (Theory Only) RFS (1 day per wk for 32 wks) is classroom based and covers subjects such as plant and soil science, tree injuries, woodland management, and
general arboriculture. There is an examination at the end.

The highest award available from the RFS is the Arboriculture Professional Diploma RFS (1 day per wk for 30 wks), which concentrates on technical updating and professional development. Potential students should check that they meet the RFS requirements. The Arboriculture Technicians Certificate AA (1 day per wk for 30 wks) is designed for those seeking out a career in technical, supervisory or managerial roles in arboriculture and is suitable for those who have either the RFS Certificate in Arboriculture or the National Certificate in Horticulture
(Arboriculture).

On the FdSc Arboriculture (3 yrs p/t), validated by Reading University, students receive instruction in small business finance operations, project and personnel management, environmental law and mitigation, and they undertake practical competence training in chainsaw use, maintenance and tree climbing. There is the opportunity to undertake professional courses validated by the Arboriculture Association or Royal Forestry Society.
01483 88 40 40 www.guildford.ac.uk

Myerscough College, Preston
Myerscough offers a wide range of further education and in some cases online study. The online RFS Certificate in Arboriculture (1 yr) is a distance- learning course covering all aspects of tree work. Also online, the Technician’s Certificate in Arboriculture (1 yr p/t) is an intermediate qualification covering the science, management and technological aspects of arboriculture. It is the first of its kind and is suitable for those wishing to progress to a Foundation Degree through online study.

The full-time BSc (Hons) Arboriculture (3 yrs with the option of Online Final Year Direct Entry)
and the FdSc Arboriculture (2 yrs f/t with the option of online study 3 yrs) both allow for an optional 12-month placement anywhere in the world, including the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Italy and Ireland. For students with an HND in Arboriculture or Foundation Degree, the BSc (Hons) Arboriculture Online Final Year Direct Entry (2 yrs p/t) is the first of its kind to use webbased learning material (from the Myerscough College Online Learning Network) and online tutorials accessible to students regardless of location or nationality.

Accredited by the University of Lancashire, the MSc/PGDip Arboriculture and Urban Forestry
(MSc – 1 yr f/t/3 yrs p/t; PGDip – 2 yrs) is a groundbreaking course incorporating a multi-disciplined learning approach. The MSc is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Foresters and gives points towards Chartered Forester status.
01995 642211 www.myerscough.ac.uk

Plumpton College, Lewes
From the full-time First Diploma in Forestry (1 yr) students can progress to the National Award in Forestry and Arboriculture (Forestry) (1 yr) and thereafter the second year of the National Diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture (2 yrs). Run in partnership with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV), NVQ Level 1 Land-Based Operations and NPTC CS30/31 (2 days p/wk 31 wks) is a course where students get to grips with hand-tools and chainsaws, learning how to safely fell and delimb trees and to identify and plant trees. The BTCV NVQ Level 2 Environmental Conservation course allows students to develop their practical skills in environmental conservation.

The ABC Level 2 Certificate in Arboriculture (leading towards the RFS Certificate in Arboriculture) covers all aspects of arboriculture as well as preparing the student for the external examination. Plumpton offers a work-based Tree and Timber Apprenticeship NVQ Level 2 (1 yr or longer). Forestry elements include thinning and felling using chainsaws, planting, and care and maintenance of woodlands.

The FdSc Arboriculture (2 yrs/4 yrs p/t) mixes practical machinery modules with biologically focused tree modules, and the Forestry and Woodland Management FdSc places particular emphasis on the environmental and ecological factors influencing the industry in the South of England. 01273 890 454 www.plumpton.ac.uk

School of the Environment and Natural Resources, Bangor University
Bangor University offers the BSc Forestry (3 yrs) and BSc Forestry Single Honours ‘Sandwich’ (4 yrs with a year in industry). The ‘sandwich’ offers the opportunity to spend 7-12 months working for a forestry organisation.

The MSc Agroforestry (1 yr) shows how trees, people and agriculture can be combined in sustainably managed farms, forests and landscapes. Project work can be done in Africa, Asia, Europe and the USA. Both the MSc Sustainable Tropical Forestry (2 yrs) and MSc Sustainable
Forest and Nature Management (2 yrs) are funded by a grant from the EC Erasmus Mundus Programme and are offered by a five-university consortium. See www.sutrofor.net or
www.sufonama.net for details.

Since 2002 Bangor has offered distance-learning MSc courses, which now total three in the forestry sector. The latest distance-learning course, the MSc Forestry and Forest Products, bridges the gap between producer and processor, leaving students with detailed knowledge
of the interactions between the sustainable growing and end-uses of forest resources.

The Institute of Chartered Foresters accredits all of Bangor’s forestry degrees.
01248 382281 www.bangor.ac.uk

Scottish School of Forestry, Inverness
The Intermediate Level 2 Forestry Certificate (1 yr f/t), the Intermediate Level 2 Conservation Skills (1 yr f/t) and Intermediate Level 1/2 Landbased Skills (1 yr f/t) courses are designed to provide the underpinning knowledge and practical skills to be a skilled craftsman. The Higher National Certificate in Forestry (1 yr) covers subjects such as forest science and silviculture, and requires entrants to have practical experience.

The Higher National Diploma in Forestry (3 yrs) builds on the Certificate. The Arboriculture and Urban Forestry Higher National Certificate (1 yr) is designed to provide the skills to work as a supervisor or selfemployed contractor.

The Arboriculture and Urban Forestry Higher National Diploma (2 yrs) builds on Year 1 of the National Certificate. Year 2 prepares students to organise and supervise tree works and urban forestry operations, or to start up their own business. The Scottish School of Forestry
offers a BSc in Sustainable Forest Management, with Forest Conservation or Arboriculture and Urban Forestry as options.

Sparsholt College, Winchester
The introductory Woodland Skills Course (1 yr) gives an insight into woodland and tree-care related industries. The BTEC National Diploma in Forestry or Arboriculture (2 yrs) covers supervisory and business management skills and students are encouraged to work in industry between years 1 and 2. Two foundation degrees, FdSc in Arboriculture and Tree Care (3 yrs) and in Lowland Woodland Management (3 yrs), are available. Both courses incorporate a one-year work placement.

The foundation degrees are available part-time one day a week for those that have sufficient
industry experience and are currently employed in the industries.
01962 776441 www.sparsholt.ac.uk

University of Cumbria, Newton Rigg Campus, Penrith
The BTEC National Diploma Countryside Management – Woodland Management (2 yrs) explores the theory and practical skills used in modern woodland management. This vocational course contains between 10 and 24 weeks’ practical work experience.

A Forestry Apprenticeship NVQ Level 2 (2 yrs p/t) offers students the chance to ‘learn while they earn’. A planned programme is delivered in the workplace, with eight weeks’ college attendance spread throughout the two years. The BSc (Hons) Forest & Woodland Management offers the chance to develop expertise in the scientific principles, technical practice and applied management of forests worldwide.

The MSc Forest Ecosystem Management (1 yr f/t or 2 yrs p/t or distance learning) includes a dissertation and core modules in Forest Ecology and Ecosystems, Silviculture, and Forest Management (with an optional overseas field course).

Optional study modules include GIS, Project Planning, Conservation Biology and Global Environmental Issues. 0845 606 1144 www.cumbria.ac.uk

Warwickshire College
Two campuses at Warwickshire College offer forestry and arb courses – the Moreton Morrell Centre with a 345-hectare estate, and Pershore College, which sits amid 60 hectares including a commercially run nursery within the grounds.

The part-time RFS Level 2 Certificate – Arboriculture is designed for practising arborists, complements existing experience and provides evidence of competence. Additional courses include the ABC Level 3 RFS Technicians Certificate in Arboriculture (45 wks), the BTEC National Certificate Countryside Management (70 wks) and the FdSc Arboriculture (3 yrs) for those who wish to become arborists or tree surgeons.

The full-time C&G Advanced National Certificate in Arboriculture – Tree Care Surgery (1 yr) covers plant ecology, arboricultural techniques, urban forestry, and preparing for a supervisory role. The BTEC National Diploma in Arboriculture and Tree Management (2 yrs) covers forestry and arboricultural practice; tree identification, establishment and management; estate skills; mechanisation; business studies and computer skills.

The course offers an extended period of industrial training, NPTC Certificates (chainsaw and climbing) and a study tour is optional. Those in employment who have studied a Level 2 Apprenticeship (or similar) can join the Apprenticeship Level 3 – Environmental Conservation
(2 yrs) course which prepares students to work in country parks, on golf courses, recreation areas or for local councils. 0845 217 7414 www.warkscol.ac.uk

Shuttleworth College, Biggleswade
Shuttleworth College (a partner of Writtle College) offers courses in countryside management for students considering specialist work such as rangers, wardens, gamekeepers, ecologists or employment within the various government councils or agencies.

Those who achieve a merit or distinction on the First Diploma may progress onto the 18-unit
Edexcel (BTEC) National Diploma in Countryside Management. This course includes an industrial placement and successful completion gives students the equivalent of three A levels. The Edexcel (BTEC) National Award in Countryside Management (2 yrs evening class) is aimed at employed adults who would like to change careers. Students who receive a merit award (or above) can progress onto the top-up Edexcel (BTEC) National Certificate in Countryside Management.

Validated by the University of Essex, the new Higher Certificate in Conservation & Environment (1 yr) is equivalent to the first year of a degree programme. Attendance is required 2.5 days a week. Core modules include topics such as sector studies for the conservation industry; landscapes and ecosystems and principles and practice of ecology. Students can progress onto the second year of the FdSc in Conservation and Environment (Ecology and Habitat Management or Biological Surveying and Habitat Management) or the BSc (Hons) Conservation and Environment (Biological Surveying).
01767 626222 www.shuttleworth.ac.uk

Writtle College, Chelmsford
Two miles from Chelmsford, Writtle College has been offering land-based courses since 1993 and supports services offered at Shuttleworth. The Level 3 Edexcel (BTEC) National Diploma in Countryside Management (2 yrs) consists of core units in ecology and conservation, estate skills, and woodland ecology and habitat management.

Higher education options for students include the FdSc Horticulture (Tree Management) (2 yrs/3 yrs with industrial placement/option to study p/t) where they develop a specialist understanding of the principles underpinning tree management techniques in an economic,
social, ecological and technical context. Core units on the BSc (Hons) Horticulture (Tree Management) (3 yrs/4 yrs with placement) include the living tree; garden and landscape
contracts and management and plant production science.

Students are encouraged to think critically and complete an investigative project related to Tree Management. Areas of study on the vocational full-time BSc (Hons) Conservation &
Environment with Tree Management (3 yrs) include biodiversity and conservation, and landscapes and ecosystems, with business management and event management optional
‘minors’. 01245 424200 www.writtle.ac.uk

The Sector Skills Council (Lantra) has spent the last two years discussing (with the forestry and arboricultural industries) revisions to the National Occupational Standards for chainsaw users and chainsaw units in the NPTC Certificate of Competence. The proposed content of each revised unit is taken directly from the industry-revised National Occupational Standards (NOS) to reflect current industry practices, including guidance on safe practice at the beginning of each unit. Changes are still at the proposal stage only, and any chainsaw units previously achieved will be valid after the revised Chainsaw Certificate of Competence units are released, provided regular refresher training has been undertaken.

Useful Contact Numbers:
SQA: 0845 279 1000
NPTC: 024 76 85 7300
City & Guilds: 020 7294 2800
Edexcel: 0844 576 0026
ABC Awards: 01257 241428
Lantra: 0845 707 8007
Ofqual: 0300 303 3344
QAA: 01452 557 000
Arb Association: 01794 368717
RFS: 01442 822 028
ICF: 0131 240 1425