Careers in forestry / landscaping / ground managment and assosiated trades.

[robin wood]

looking at these tho i think i need to do some volenteer work alongside any course i choose to do,....

one thing is certain,,,i cant do it whilst in my current position thru lack of time,.....
,

It would be easy enough to do a day or two walling with some pros and see if you liked it. Find someone local, phone them up and ask if you can come and carry stone, or act as a labourer for them for a day, do the same with any other job you think you might fancy. Might use up a weeks holiday but it would be a good investment, better to find you find walling cold, mind numbing and boring before ditching the warm office and paying for a course. This place http://www.nationalstonecentre.org.uk/tr_trainingcourses.html does a weekend walling course for £85

 

[v-ness]

is 38 really too old for a complete shift in direction??

Just a quick note for that- my dad was made redundant at the age of 55. He bought a Van and despite the recession is now very busy delivering and happier then I have ever seen him. A year after this my hubby said- sod this, if he can so can I, and retrained as a plumber. Now started his own business and loves the freedom it gives him. We have a much happier home! Although neither choice has anything to do with their hobbies and interests it shows how important mental health is, not only to you, but the impact it has on your family. So if you feel its time to change, then keep an open mind with regards to your work choice and go for it if you find something.

All the best
Ness

 

[ex-member Raikey]

It would be easy enough to do a day or two walling with some pros and see if you liked it. Find someone local, phone them up and ask if you can come and carry stone, or act as a labourer for them for a day, do the same with any other job you think you might fancy. Might use up a weeks holiday but it would be a good investment, better to find you find walling cold, mind numbing and boring before ditching the warm office and paying for a course. This place http://www.nationalstonecentre.org.uk/tr_trainingcourses.html does a weekend walling course for £85

yep!...after your last nod ref drystone walling , i looked up the training academy in barnsley,..9 mile from me,...

theres a forum too with people wanting wallers,..

one guy ,mirrored my feeling and gave his labour free for a week, to get a toe in the door,..

theres a recognised qualification up to master standard, all worked in with the practical tests and assesments,...

so i reckon as the money isnt astronomical, the culture thats developed in the plumbing game, "badge em up and get em out there" from people wanting a fast earner, wont effect the walling game..

 

[Shewie]

A friend of the wife lives up in Wensleydale and does dry stone walling and hedge laying etc, he's doing really well for himself lately and has even had to turn down work at times. Time to give him a ring me thinks.

 

[ex-member Raikey]

A friend of the wife lives up in Wensleydale and does dry stone walling and hedge laying etc, he's doing really well for himself lately and has even had to turn down work at times. Time to give him a ring me thinks.

deffo,... good luck and let us know the outcome

 

[locum76]

All I know is that having come from a life of farming and gardening via an ecology degree it takes a lot of persistence to get a job in the country that's even a little bit more interesting than tractor driving.

 

[bushcraftbob]

Hi Raikey

I am in exactly the same position as you. I am working in an office job, and absolutely hating it.

I have registered with a local conservation charity and now do voluntary work once a month, and am doing an online course in countryside management. However seeing the current demand for these types of jobs, and the current job climate, i am not holding much hope out of getting a job anytime soon. I am seriously thinking of doing something along Robin Wood's suggestion above, living in an afluent area I am sure there will always be a need for garden maintenance etc, its just "taking the plunge" and doing it, but not an easy thing to do when you have mortgage, family etc.

I was fortunate in july and august in that the chief exec of the company i work for had me doing his grounds full time, but back in the office now

I am trying to negotiate working at least one day a work there permanently (and hopefully more next summer) but hes a tough nut to crack!

Godd luck with it!

 

[swyn]

There are 'Jobs in the trade' at present but experience is necessary. This does not come easily but if you persevere you will work your way up the ladder. Several private 'Estates' have been advertising recently for tree people. Chain-saw certs a must.
Going from an inside job to a physical outside job really is a bigger jump than some bodies can cope with (in particular if you are nearer 40 than 30). Physical fitness is a must, else you will end up with many an ache and/or serious back problems.
As most of those who have written in this thread say 'working as a volunteer' is often a way to get a foot in the door. That would be the route I would advise on.
I employ a small team of five during the winter months dealing with 'Tree Safety' on the road edges and have been working my way along some seventy five miles of road edge for the last five years. We have got through several laborours in this time as the pay is not good and skills are not easily learned as there is little time during a working day for skill to be discussed in particular when the job needs to be finished.
Please do not see this scribble as a dampener, it's just my slant on it!
Good luck!

Swyn.

 

[Dan Wound]

How are you getting on with this ?? The thread has made for an interesting read.

For those of you that have, what is the most nationally recognised chainsaw cert to get ?? Googling it seems to be a bit of a minefield.....is there a national body that is the Uk recognised standard ??

 

[mat mac]

Hay
Im an A-level student and im thinking about going to do a forrestry degree in 2012 but am unsure, might try for an apprenticeship.
im thinking either pershore or banga if you do deside to pack it all in we mate we buddies lol

 

[ganstey]

For those of you that have, what is the most nationally recognised chainsaw cert to get ?? Googling it seems to be a bit of a minefield.....is there a national body that is the Uk recognised standard ??

NPTC/Lantra is nationally recognised. As a minimum you need Chainsaw maintenance and cross-cutting, and felling small trees (CS30 & CS31?) If you're doing professional forestry you'll need a host of others.

G

 

[robin wood]

Here is another idea. I have known several folk involved in horse logging, there is good demand around the country and a fairly new charitable organisation with a funded apprenticeship.
http://www.britishhorseloggerscharitabletrust.org/

I think they only have a couple of places at a time and are looking for pretty special people, not many are prepared to graft hard on wet cold days and also have the entrepreneurial skills and drive you need to run your own business.

 

[nodd]

I was in a similar position and after being out of work for a while and I went down the retrain route. I left school with no qualification so I had to do english and maths qualifications, this gave me enough to do a National Diploma in countryside management. After completing the first year the lectures suggested I transfer over to the Foundation degree in Ecology and conservation management which I started this September. I have also been volunteering with the National Trust and have just started to train to do bird ringing. It is never to late as I am 48.

 

[vizsla]

im only 26 but its amazing how things change when i was at school i always wanted to be a ranger or keeper but when i asked the teachers about a career in this they looked at me gonout, the options were a office job a manual job in contruction or staying on at school.
a few years ago everyone was wanting to move from manual labour to a so called cosy office job. same as all the city dwelers are wanting to ''escape to the country'' get some chickens plant some carrots and get a pair of hunter wellies
ok imjust moaning now sorry
i no and hear of alot of people going into or trying to go into woodland management ect most of because they can do a HND whilst still working there curent job alot of who have no experiance in labour or workking outdoors when its freezin,but i think its these people who have made it so difficult for people who actualy love being out doors to get a job like yourself.
id surgest like others go down a difernt route like walling, but just remember its only recently these trades have picked up, and thats mainly because of people moving to the country buying land and then paying others to maintain it, u wont get a farmer paying to get his dry stone wall repaired or his field flail mowed.
so in my opinion if your good at learning skills work for your self like me, set up a company and name costs less than a hundred quid learn a few trades like walling and hedge laying,but whilst u do that advertise for work covering garden maintainance etc things you can do now aswell as the walling etc,if the work comes in before you no how to do it sub it out to others maybe of here.
this way you couled either carry on working for the time being untill u build up enough work but doing bits when u can or pack up ur current job get one with less hours and work it around that and once uv got ur company u van always sub contract to others even just labouring.
cheers

 

[Salix]

Hi all,
Just thought i would give you my take on this thread.
I have been employed in the countryside management industry for over 15 years now, an that doesn't include the voluntary work. I did a degree in conservation biology, i have my chainsaw certs to arb level, done shed loads of courses and loads of experience. I started as a team leader for a company who took unemployed people out to work for there benefits ( topical !!!). Ranger, senior ranger then countryside officer for local government (10 years service), managed a team of rangers, estate workers and volunteers, done pretty much everything there is to do. Last couple of years i have worked as a contractor in the private sector, and for myself as a Countryside, landscaping contractor. This business is hard !! Low payed (at my peak i was earning £25k), and can be very uncomfortable.....stuck out on the moors, with horizontal driving rain and sleet trying to put a kissing gate or stile in. Yes it has it's good moments, but it's definately not bushcraft !!
As for the current job market, be prepared for many nock backs, relocation after relocation and wierd hours. There are jobs available, but there is a massive competition for these posts that is only going to get worse with the quango's and civil service cut backs.
Sorry for being a bit of a downer, but I dont want anyone looking through those rose tinted specs.......it's just like any other industry......Dying !!!!!!!!

 

[bayleaf]

There speaks the voice of experience.
I too have worked in the great outdoors,primarily forestry and estate work,for over twenty years.In that time I have been able to aquire,not only the requisite skills (and qualifications) but the myriad of day to day techniques that make the same jobs just a little easier.At 42,it would be fair to describe myself,in trade terms, as a craftsman.....and I am begining to find some aspects of my work wearisome.The occasional physical twinges have begun to appear,although,in most other respects I am fit and well.
I whole heartedly admire your desire to change,and it is no-ones decision but your own...but the industry,most land based industry is a physically tough way of going,with forestry at the top.
I would not reccomend a degree, on a purely financial basis.In addition to that, in your age bracket there are a lot of forest managers who have been in the job for a good length of time.
Consider using the financial burden that you would have created getting a degree to get some craft based training,and go into something like charcoal burning,or green wood work.Some form of self-employment.

Speaking from the inside of things (I work for a large house) the chances of doing a bit of training and getting into a position are slim.The money is not great, and you really do have to do what you do because you enjoy it (most of the time).
On the plus side....The scenery is nearly always fantastic.The weather is not always hideous.Quite a few of the people you will encounter are somewhat less encumbered by conventional ideas of ettiqette,which makes for an interesting life.
Good luck to you in your adventure.

 

[ex-member Raikey]

There speaks the voice of experience.
I too have worked in the great outdoors,primarily forestry and estate work,for over twenty years.In that time I have been able to aquire,not only the requisite skills (and qualifications) but the myriad of day to day techniques that make the same jobs just a little easier.At 42,it would be fair to describe myself,in trade terms, as a craftsman.....and I am begining to find some aspects of my work wearisome.The occasional physical twinges have begun to appear,although,in most other respects I am fit and well.
I whole heartedly admire your desire to change,and it is no-ones decision but your own...but the industry,most land based industry is a physically tough way of going,with forestry at the top.
I would not reccomend a degree, on a purely financial basis.In addition to that, in your age bracket there are a lot of forest managers who have been in the job for a good length of time.
Consider using the financial burden that you would have created getting a degree to get some craft based training,and go into something like charcoal burning,or green wood work.Some form of self-employment.

Speaking from the inside of things (I work for a large house) the chances of doing a bit of training and getting into a position are slim.The money is not great, and you really do have to do what you do because you enjoy it (most of the time).
On the plus side....The scenery is nearly always fantastic.The weather is not always hideous.Quite a few of the people you will encounter are somewhat less encumbered by conventional ideas of ettiqette,which makes for an interesting life.
Good luck to you in your adventure.

cracking post bayleaf,..

the last few post on here have come from the same place as yours,..

i'll admit to being in the middle of a rough week when i initially posted this but am still activley looking for "something" that may lower the blood pressure,..

 

[bayleaf]

Keep looking chum.You'll find the right thing eventually,or it will find you.