How tree surgeon training can help grow your trade business

How can your business benefit from tree surgeon training?

Has your tree surgeon business got more jobs than you can handle? When your business is growing, you need to look at options for bringing on new people. Creating tree surgeon trainee jobs is one of the ways to do that.

Have you considered using a trainee or apprentice? They can be an option instead of using subcontractors, or even hiring another fully qualified tree surgeon.

There are a number of ways your tree surgeon business could benefit. Having someone in training can provide a fresh set of eyes. Someone still in tree surgeon training will hopefully be filled with the enthusiasm of youth and also give you another set of hands.

Having a trainee on board could help by:

• Increasing your capacity for more jobs
• Reducing the skills gap in the industry
• Upskilling your workforce
• Training people according to your own processes

Something else to consider for existing tradespeople is upskilling as a tree surgeon. Having those skills as a builder or landscape gardener could prove useful down the line!

What tree surgeon training options are there?

There is a wide variety of tree surgeon courses out there to cater to a range of learning styles. Tree surgeon training can take many forms so it is good to get familiar with the options.

Whether it is for you or your employees, it is never too late to learn another skill. When you’re already running a tree surgeon business, that could be so you can offer more services.

Getting training early on is a guaranteed route into how to become a tree surgeon.

People tend to become a tree surgeon through one of these means:

• University course
• College course
• Fast track course
• Apprenticeship
• Traineeship
• Working on the job towards this role

The National Careers website provides some good information around the different requirements for tree surgeon training. Homeowners will trust your trade business more if they know your employees are fully qualified for the job.

What about apprenticeships?

Did you know? Government data indicates that nearly 80% of employers think that apprenticeships help them improve productivity.

Thanks to schemes such as About Apprenticeships, more and more young people around the country are learning trade skills.

Taking on an apprentice for your business is a great way to help with growth.

There are a number of courses out there that can apprentice people as a tree surgeon. One of those options is the Arborist (level 2) apprenticeship training course. There are a number of the colleges around the country that support this kind of training.

Apprentices have the same employee rights as anyone else, but there will be a pre-planned end to the employment. If you choose to take someone on, you’ll need to think about next steps after they finish their training.

What are training and employment schemes?

In addition to apprenticeships, there are a variety of other schemes and training options that as an employer you may want to consider.

The UK government launched the “Skills For Life” campaign in 2022 as one of the responses to the Skills and Post-16 Education Act. There are now many programmes available for employers wanting to hire employees, give work experience or upskill existing staff.

Other choices to consider for tree surgeon training initiatives are:

• Traineeships
• T-Level Industry Placements
• Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs)
• Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP)
• Skills Bootcamps
• New Futures Network (NFN)

Not all of these schemes may be right for your tree surgeon business, so make sure to do your own research.

When your business is growing, you will eventually need another pair of hands. Whether that is an apprentice, trainee, employee or subcontractor will very much depend on what your business needs.

As being a tree surgeon is such a skilled job, you want to make sure that whoever you take on will help build trust and carry out great work.

What should your business expect to pay a trainee?

There are quite a lot of factors to consider when it comes to a tree surgeon salary.

Apprentices just starting out can expect to earn around £11,063. Fully trained and accredited owners of tree surgery businesses can make around £57,779. These are variable and based on the level and training and experience people have.

As they are learning and not in full time employment, you can pay apprentices a slightly lower salary. On average in the UK this is around £6.30 per hour.

Once someone has qualified as a tree surgeon, even if they’re still a trainee and not experienced, this instantly goes up to around £12 per hour.

Make sure to do your research and work out what your trade business needs in terms of people. Although you may think a trainee is more cost effective, there will be different costs to factor in beyond a salary.

Tree surgeon training is an important way to tackle the growing skills gap in the UK. How that factors into your specific trade business could prove to be very beneficial if done correctly.

Key takeaways

• Tree surgeon training is available at all levels
• It is good for both new and existing tree surgeons
• Trainees and apprentices can increase productivity
• Training people helps reduce the UK skills gap
• There are many courses to choose from
• An extra pair of hands give your business more resource
• Tree surgeons can expect different wages based on their training and experience