Skills and knowledge for employment at supervisory and managerial level. Content includes practical skills and knowledge for craft level work.
All 16–19 year olds on full-time programmes will be required to retake GCSE English and Maths or to undertake Functional Skills, if they have not already attained the equivalent of a GCSE grade C in these subjects, every year of their course, until they complete their studies.
Anyone wanting practical training and knowledge of arboriculture needed for craft level work in the industry
Practical work is carried out both in the woods, the golf course and ornamental grounds of the college’s 280-hectare estate and on outside worksites, giving a good range of realistic working situations. Skilled and experienced tutors make full use of the well-equipped workshops, laboratories and wide range of machinery during the course, whilst the diverse range of tree and shrub species in the woodlands, ornamental grounds and plant nursery provides an excellent resource for developing plant knowledge. Several renowned gardens and aboreta, such as Kew, Wisley and Winkworth, are within easy reach of Merrist Wood.
What you'll learn
Course content includes:
- Investigative Project
- Plant Science
- Identification Planting and Establish
- Planting, Aftercare and Protection
- Tree and Shrub Pruning
- Silviculture
- Operate specialist forestry and Arboricultural Machinery
- Timber Conversion and Utilisation
- Undertake Arboricultural Skills
- Tree Felling and Chainsaw Use
- Principles of Forest Recreation
How you'll learn and be assessed
A mixture of practical and theoretical lessons.
Progression
You could progress to the Level 3 Extended Diploma or employment with tree surgeons, arboricultural contractors and planning departments or self-employment.
Entry requirements
You need to have 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above including maths, English and science, or a relevant Level 2 qualification at merit or above