Arborist Apprenticeship (Level 2)

 

 

  • Learn how to care for and preserve our woodlands, arboretums and majestic tree collections
  •  Develop new skills through hands on learning and college studies  
Available at selected RHS gardens

View the level 2 factsheet

Entry Requirements

  • No previous arboricultural experience or qualifications are required
  • You must have the right to work in England to apply for any apprenticeship*
  • Applicants should be able to demonstrate a passion for trees, woodlands, arboriculture, arboretums or forest ecology 
  • Applicants must have the ability to grasp information and apply recently gained knowledge, and must have a reasonable standard of IT literacy (use email, Microsoft Word to create documents and the internet to research information)
  • It is desirable to have GCSE grades A* to C or 9 - 4 in English and Maths. If you do not have English and/or Maths GCSE qualifications (or equivalents), you will be required to complete Functional Skills at college as part of your apprenticeship
 
Please note: If you already hold all or part of a Level 2 arboricultural qualification (at Certificate or Diploma level) you are not eligible for the Level 2 apprenticeship due to government funding rules.

*Additionally, to qualify for apprenticeship funding, UK nationals and those with the right to abode must have been resident in the UK for at least three years prior to the start of the apprenticeship. For further information, please contact us by email on [email protected].

Working in the garden

Spend two years working with experienced arborists in our prestigious RHS gardens to get a real understanding of the varied seasonal work and skills involved in maintaining trees within a public garden.
 
Arborists use specialised techniques and machinery to develop, maintain and enhance tree collections within our woodlands, arboretums and the wider landscapes of RHS gardens.

“My highlight of the first year was climbing the large Oak on the west side of the lake. I had to branch walk and reduce the limbs”

College Studies

Learn the skills and techniques to carry out chainsaw work, aerial tree work, pruning, dismantling of trees, and using machinery such as brushwood chippers. 

Arborists play an important role in managing biodiversity by carrying out practical tree management on trees of all ages, including those that are rare or in a heritage environment.
 
For more details of the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours you will complete during the apprenticeship please visit the Institute for Apprenticeships website.

After your apprenticeship

Successfully achieving this Apprenticeship will give you the opportunity to:

Contact us
For more information or if you have a question, please get in touch with the RHS Apprenticeships team. 


E-mail:
[email protected]
 

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.