Houghall Campus
Get Outdoors with a Practical and Exciting Course
Fancy a career where you get to use your hands and complete meaningful, practical work? Tree surgery could be the course for you!
This course is all about preparing you for a career in the 'arb' industry - you'll learn all about the science and art for caring for loads of different kinds of trees, as well as the cultivation, management and study of individual trees, vines and other types of perennial woody plants.
The course combines together both the practical side - think cutting down trees, climbing trees and much more! - and the scientific side - for example identifying trees and understanding how cutting them in a certain way might affect the tree. When these combine, you'll leave us with an incredible understanding of how to be a tree surgeon, and will be ready for the world of work.
You can expect all kinds of skills and knowledge to be taught to you as part of this course, including:
· Effective, safe use of cutting equipment such as chainsaws
· Learning to safely climb trees using relevant equipment
· Identifying different types of trees
· Disease recognition in trees
Before we get a bit more into the course, take a look at what it's all about with our tree surgery video below!
Welcome to Houghall, the Perfect Place to Study Arboriculture!
Houghall's the biggest land-based education provider in the North East, so we know a thing or two about the courses we teach!
For arb students, you'll be getting the very best area you could possibly choose to learn your trade in.
Our fantastic Houghall campus is home to over 450 acres of land, and a significant portion of that land are woodland areas, which our tree surgery students help to maintain.
On top of these areas, the Houghall campus is also home to both an arboretum and a pinetum - these special areas house a wide variety of rare tree types you won't find many places in our region, allowing you to practice your craft on different species of trees than you may find commonly in England.
When you're not out and about, you can maintain your equipment and learn the science behind arb in our purpose-built arboriculture workshop, full of everything you need from climbing gear, protective personal equipment, chainsaws, a wood chipper and so much more.
Your Career in Tree Surgery
With a level 3 qualification in tree surgery, you will have many opportunities on where to go next.
You could decide to go to university to take a degree programme - potential routes you could choose from include Arboriculture and Urban Forestry, Countryside and Environmental Management and Landscape Design and Management.
Alternatively you might go straight into employment. Learners from EDC progress directly into employment in jobs such as:
- arborists (tree surgeons)
- foresters
- tree surveyors
- tree inspectors
- woodland rangers
- woodland managers
- tree consultants
There's also fantastic opportunities through apprenticeships, where you'll earn while you learn on the job too.
Women In Arboriculture
The arboriculture industry isn't just for men - although traditionally male-dominated, there's now more opportunities than ever for women who'd like to get involved in arboriculture.
A recent initiative, set up by trees.org.uk, is promoting the arb industry to women. For more information on this movement, please click here (https://www.trees.org.uk/Careers/Women-in-Arboriculture).
Visit EDC
