John

Level 3 Arboriculture and Forestry 

Future Plans: I’m going to work for a local tree specialist 

“The course itself has been fantastic. The content and the way it is delivered is great, the lecturers are good at what they do but also they have fun with it. The practical skills we’ve been taught are all useful, such as climbing and chainsaw use, and I’ve learnt a lot from working in industry, such as effective communication which is highly important.

We’ve used lots of machinery such as chippers and stump grinders and I’ve really enjoyed using my hitch climber – it is fantastic, and a total confidence boost in the tree. The industry links that we have mean that the trips we do are always highly educational and eye opening, and the guests that come in to talk are very interesting.

Sparsholt plays a huge role in preparing you for work – all the practical sessions that we do here give you the skills to do the job, the NPTC tickets then prove that you can work correctly and the staff provide their own advice from their years within the industry.

I obtained my job with a local tree specialist company through my lecturers. The owner has so much experience of the industry and the guys were great to work with – all of them gave me so much advice about the job which I will definitely use and made me feel like a part of the team. Many of them are ex Sparsholt students and they gave a great comparison of college to work transition.

The people on my course and those I live with on site are great. As a residential student you interact more with people from all over the country, I’ve made lots of friends and lots of memories to go with them. The social events such as the Summer and Christmas balls are definitely among my best memories.”

Learn more about Arboriculture and Forestry Courses