Learn to Be a Tree Surgeon in Kent
Whether you want to learn equipment maintenance for non-commercial use, or you want a complete and in-depth course to teach you everything there is to know about professional tree care, DTE Academy is your best choice.
We offer a range of courses that can teach you the skills you need for a career in arboriculture, all while giving you first-hand experience in the industry. Our trainers have a wealth of experience in the field and we always stay up to date with the latest regulations and trends.
Go over our tree surgeon courses below and see which best fits your learning needs.
City & Guilds NPTC Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross-cutting
Learn how to properly take care of your chainsaw with preventative and corrective maintenance. This course also tackles cross-cutting operations – cross-cutting timber under tensions, horizontal stems, and other timber that needs further processing. The course is ideal whether for commercial or non-commercial applications. If you’re looking for a chainsaw course in Kent, this is a great place to start.
This course is a combination of chainsaw maintenance, cross-cutting, felling, and tree processing. It gives the participants a higher standard tree management ability from the ground level. It is a comprehensive course that is essential for those looking to build their careers in tree surgery.
City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Award in Safe Use of Manually Fed Wood-Chipper
If you own or operate a manually fed woodchipper, this course will teach you how to correctly maintain it. The course involves pre- and post-operational checks and a range of other maintenance tasks designed to lengthen the longevity of your equipment. It also discusses the safety measures when operating woodchippers.
City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Award in Tree Climbing and Rescue
This course is an introduction to aerial tree work where participants will experience climbing trees using both ladders and other climbing equipment. This course also lets participants carry out a variety of rescues that involve the recovery of both conscious and unconscious casualties.
Responsibilities of the Tree Surgeon
DTE training will provide you practical experience with the various aspects of the tree surgeon’s job, including:
Tree Removal - Dead, dying or diseased trees and trees damaged during extreme weather events often need to be removed entirely. Tree removal is an exacting process during which you will lean on your cross cutting and felling skills and put your award in chainsaw maintenance to the test.
Tree Pruning - Mature trees have an unfortunate habit of interfering with utilities, growing over homes and businesses and growing into roads in ways that can be dangerous for vehicles. Tree pruning is where your award in tree climbing from DTE will come into play.
Stump Removal - Tree work does not always entail being high in the canopy. When trees are removed for whatever purpose stumps are often left behind. These may wind up finding some aesthetic or functional purpose, but in time most need to be removed. Tree surgery often involves stump removal.
Root Pruning - Sometimes the work of the professional tree surgeon will take you underground. At DTE Academy you will learn how to track down and prune tree roots that are threatening the integrity of building foundations, septic tanks, water mains and other vital underground structures.
Filing Reports - Tree surgery is not all tree climbing and rescue work, sometimes the forestry and arboricultural professional is called on to comment on a developer's plan to remove a tree. In such cases, the arborist may need to file an opinion stating whether they believe tree removal is actually necessary.
The Benefits of Being a Tree Surgeon
People who choose this profession are drawn to its many benefits including:
Outdoor work - Some people are born for the office, tree surgeons are typically fans of fresh air.
Variety - Tree surgeons take what they learned in their DTE training courses on the road almost every day.
Adventure - While your friends are staring at a computer screen you’ll be putting your aerial free fall techniques to work.
Exercise - Felling and processing trees is not a job for those who abhor exercise and physical work.
DTE training is your passport to an exciting, rewarding career in forestry and arboricultural work.
FAQs
Where are the courses held?
Our courses are held in Kent, at our base in Shoreham and in the surrounding area. As there is a great deal of practical teaching involved in each course, your training may take place in a variety of locations to ensure you have the opportunity to learn the necessary skills on real specimens. Our most popular course is our Chainsaw Course in Kent.
How long does it take to become a fully qualified tree surgeon?
If you choose the DTE Academy Qualified Arborist Suite, it will take you 6 weeks to complete all of your training. At the end of this training, we will give you the chance to start work straight away with us. You don’t have to take us up on our offer of course but many people find the most stressful part of becoming a tree surgeon is finding a suitable position after they have completed their training. With the DTE Academy Qualified Arborist Suite, this is not something you need to worry about.
What are the entry requirements for a tree surgeon?
There are no specific entry requirements for any of the courses that we offer or in the industry in general. However, if you decide to start as an apprentice rather than by taking a training course, you may find that some prospective employers insist on a certain level of education or on particular qualifications.
What different types of tree surgery can I specialise in?
If you want to make sure that you are in demand once you have completed your training, you may not wish to specialise at first. If you would like to specialise in the future, once you gain more experience, you may choose to focus on any of the following areas:
Branch removal
Stump grinding and removal
Dead wooding
Crown lifting/reduction/thinning
Removal of fallen trees
Removal of trees that pose a danger to people or property
Root pruning
We recommend spending time developing your skills in all of these areas before you decide to specialise.
How many hours a week can I expect to work as a tree surgeon?
Owing to the nature of the work, tree surgeons tend to work more hours at certain times of the year than at others. In general, you can expect to work a little over 40 hours a week. Most of this work will take place from Monday to Friday but you may occasionally need to work unsociable hours.