News

A Tree Life update from Keely....

Well, what an end of an era! With Dave & Andy no longer being in the office every day and the Level 6 being replaced by an ATP (Accredited Training Programme) in Urban Tree Management, it’s been a little eventful at Tree Life recently, to say the least!

Dave and Andy have started to make the transition into retirement, but we are delighted that they are still in the background so we continue to benefit from their experience – thank goodness! Tony and I continue to run the day-to-day of Tree Life with me sticking to my managing & finance role and Tony doing the actual Arb bit. Tony is involved with all three levels and I’m keeping him busy with consultancy and short courses too, I wouldn’t want him to be twiddling his thumbs now, would I!

The ATP in Urban Tree Management seems to have been really well received by those candidates that started in September 2022 and also by the rest of the industry, in no small part to the AA’s stamp of approval I am sure - thank you AA! Dave’s also still got his finger in that pie to make sure that what he wrote on the page comes through to the candidates. I think the best bit about this course will be the real benefits of putting what you learn into practice at that strategic level. We were sad to see the Level 6 go but being able to design a course that is even more tailored and focused to the industry needs and meets the employability criteria, has been the exciting bit. You can even choose on a few of the questions whether you answer as the consultant or the Arb officer. We’ll keep everyone updated as to how it goes and the feedback we get as candidates complete their first year.

It's great to be at the AA Arb Show for another year and to have everything back into full swing again. The next year will bring some new Tree Life short courses and some additional time in the classroom, for those candidates on the online courses that want a bit more face-to-face, so still lots going on into 2024 if there is anything you have a question on, such as the new ATP or joining the Tree Life team as a marker, please do not hesitate to give me a shout sometime!

Tree Life's Accredited Training Programme in Urban Tree Management

NEW for 2022-23 – A replacement for the Level 6 Diploma

The Skills & Education Group (SEG) have announced that the Level 6 Certificate and Diploma in Arboriculture is being withdrawn. Currently, in our industry we still have the academic route however we know it is important for our industry to maintain the competence-based training and so we are introducing the Accredited Training Programme in Urban Tree Management (ATP), awarded by Tree Life and SEG jointly.

Our joint enterprise with SEG has been written by Dave Dowson, the principal author of the current Levels 2, 4 and 6 current qualifications. The Urban Tree Management Programme has been tailored for employability – for tree officers and consultants alike. While the ATP is not an Ofqual registered qualification, we believe the industry will embrace this as the next step of their professional path. The Programme will be externally moderated for quality assurance by SEG Awards just as the current qualifications are. The certificates will be awarded by SEG Group jointly with Tree Life Arboricultural Training. Tree Life remains an approved provider of training giving us the seal of approval that training will continue to be to our exceptionally high standard.

Tree Life is proud to add that our Accredited Training Programme is recognised by the Arboricultural Association! Have a look at the article in the Autumn 2022 issue of Arb Magazine here: https://www.trees.org.uk/News-Blog/Latest-News/New-Accredited-Training-Programme-in-Urban-Tree-Management.

Previous update on the Level 6 ABC Awards/SEG Awards Certificate and Diploma in Arboriculture

Today Tree Life announces a significant change to our industry Arboricultural Qualifications. We have received notification from SEG Awards (former1ly known to many of you as ABC awards) that they have decided to withdraw the current Level 6 Certificate and Diploma in Arboriculture and while that may come as a big shock to many, fear not because Tree Life will be taking it upon themselves to provide an equally worthwhile and respected Accredited Training Programme.

We have contacted our current students and informed them of the news. They can be reassured of their continuation with Tree Life to gain completion of the Diploma qualification. It is simply from this point onwards Tree Life will not be enrolling any new candidates on the Level 6 Diploma in its current form.

The Level 6 Qualification has existed since 1968 and served the arboricultural professional extremely well. The competency-based nature of it has set it aside from academic qualifications and made it a premier qualification for consultants and tree officers alike since the 1960s. Currently, in our industry we still have the academic route however we know it is important for our industry to maintain competency-based training so we will be bringing forward an Accredited Training Programme (ATP) which would still be under the guidance of SEG Awards. It will still be externally moderated for quality assurance by that awarding body. Any certificates would be awarded by SEG Group jointly with Tree Life Arboricultural Training. Tree Life would remain an approved provider of training giving us the seal of approval that training will continue to be to our exceptionally high standard.

From all our years of providing arboricultural education, we know what the industry needs and this gives us an opportunity to expand & improve on that. In developing the programme, we have the opportunity to review the contents and to make adjustments to the assessment processes. The real advantage of this is that the content can be updated to ensure it is current and reflects employment needs. Also, the assessment processes can be reviewed to ensure they also meet the needs of the learners, employers and the training provider.

The content will still be competence-based and reflect the rich history and legacy of the present level 6 qualification. The target audience would remain primarily consultants and tree officers. The aim is to have the new programme up and running by October start 2022.

While we will be sad to see the Level 6 Diploma go we are excited about the new training at a strategic level for the consultants and tree officers out there looking to gain the knowledge, competence and confidence that this training can bring. Please contact Tree Life for any advice on your next step and for any questions regarding the changes to the qualifications in the industry.