May was that time of year when students of arboriculture, usually studying at Sparsholt College, look for a week or two of meaningful work experience. We’re delighted to have hosted Leo Hoskings who’s nearly a year through his arb course and looking to start his career in practical tree surgery.
Practical work on site carries a great deal of risk: It’s a dynamic environment involving lots of manual handling, roping and powered equipment, to say nothing of any work at height. So we need to be as carefully prepared to welcome a young person as we can be, and with a bit of pre-planning, create a program of activities which give a good overview of the role as well as a taste of some of the main tasks.
This year, we were delighted that our own new trainee tree surgeons Toby and Zak have taken charge of the program for Leo. With three months experience on the team, they were ideally placed to incorporate their recent experience of coming into the team in the design of Leo’s timetable. And with close supervision from the rest of our highly experienced team, Leo has had the opportunity to try out a range of our core activities under their guidance.
At the end of his week, Leo’s feedback confirmed the value and importance of live experience in developing his awareness, skills and knowledge alongside the college environment. He had reflected on his next steps and was open to possibilities that he’d previously discounted.
Both Toby and Zak have gained from the experience too and their forthcoming appraisals will be a great place to unpack and celebrate their learning as new mentors.
For advice and a quote for work to your trees, call Andrew on 01256 817369, 07771 883061 or email Andrew@primarytreesurgeons.co.uk