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forest worker
Forest workers help to develop, maintain and protect forests. Their work can include:
- ground work such as weeding, clearing leaves and preparing ground for tree planting
- planting trees
- pruning, thinning and felling trees
- spraying to control weeds and insects
- cutting coppice (small bushes and trees)
- stripping branches and sawing timber
- maintenance work such as fencing, digging drainage ditches and clearing trails
- road building.
Forest workers use a range of tools and equipment including:
- hand tools such as axes, sickles and billhooks
- mechanised equipments such as chain saws, computerised harvesting machines and timber wagons
- tractors and lorries.
Forest workers are very often self-employed contractors, and will need to do the administrative tasks associated with running a business.
Hours and Environment
Forest workers usually work around 39 hours a week. This may include some late nights, early starts and weekend work.
Self-employed work is seasonal and may involve working long days at peak times.
The work is physically demanding, involving walking long distances through densely wooded areas, lifting and climbing.
Safety clothing, such as safety helmets and eye protectors, is needed for some jobs. A driving licence is also often needed.
Skills and Interests
To be a forest worker you should have:
- a high level of physical fitness
- an interest in working outdoors
- practical thinking and manual dexterity
- the ability to work as part of a team as well as alone
- common-sense and awareness of potential dangers
- good communication skills.
Entry
You do not need any particular qualifications to start as a forest worker, but it could be useful if you have GCSEs/S grades or similar qualifications in maths and English.
It will be an advantage if you have relevant experience. A good way to get experience is to do voluntary work for organisations such as the National Trust, the Woodland Trust or the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. To find out what opportunities for volunteering there might be in your area you could try:
- Volunteering England or Volunteer Scotland (contact details in the Further Information section)
- Yellow Pages for other local organisations who may need volunteers.
Agricultural colleges offer relevant part-time and full-time courses that you could do before looking for work, although they are not essential. They include:
- BTEC First Diploma in Countryside and Environment
- BTEC National Certificate/Diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture (Forestry).
Please check with colleges for their entry requirements.
Training
If you want to operate chainsaws, machines or use pesticides you will need certificates of competence from the National Proficiency Test Council (NPTC) or the Scottish Skills Testing Service (SSTS). If you have done a course before finding work these may have been included . Otherwise you will need to work towards the competence-based tests. Some employers will organise and pay for these. You can get details of providers from NPTC and SSTS. Please see the Further Information section for contact details.
Once you are employed at worker level you may be able to do in-service training and college courses if you want to progress to forest craftsperson (skilled worker) and foreperson.
Relevant qualifications for craftspersons include:
- NVQ/SVQ Level 2 in Forestry
- BTEC First Diploma in Countryside and Environment.
As a foreperson you will do a range of practical jobs as well as organising and supervising others and making sure instructions from managers are carried out. You will usually need:
- BTEC National Diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture (Forestry); or
- NVQ/SVQ Level 3 in Treework.
To progress to management level you will usually need one of the following:
- BTEC HND in Forestry
- BSc or postgraduate degree in Forestry
- City and Guilds NVQ/SVQ Level 4 in Forestry.
Apprenticeships may be available for those under the age of 24. In England these are currently Apprenticeships (level 2) and Advanced Apprenticeships (level 3). To find out more about these, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk
Apprenticeships may be different in other areas. For further information see Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland
Opportunities
Forest workers usually work on a contract-by-contract basis, rather than in direct employment.
Potential employers include:
- the Forestry Commission
- private forestry companies
- contractors and organisations such as the National Trust
- the Woodland Trust
- county Wildlife Trusts.
There may also be opportunities to work abroad, for example in commercial forests in Canada.
Forest workers can be promoted to foreperson and those willing to study for further qualifications may be able to progress to supervisory or management levels.
Annual Income
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
New entrants can earn around up to around £12,000 a year.
Experienced workers can earn around £16,500.
Supervisors may earn up to around £19,800.
Self-employed workers are usually paid on a piecework basis.
The employer may sometimes provide accommodation.
Further information
Edinburgh
EH28 8NE
Tel: 0131 333 2040
Stoneleigh Park
Nr Coventry
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
Tel: 0845 707 8007
Stoneleigh
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
Tel: 024 7685 7300
Tring
Hertfordshire
HP23 4AF
Tel: 01442 822028
Back To Animals Plants and Land Careers
Further Help and Advice
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Site Disclaimer
The information contained in our Career Profiles Database was correct at time of publishing, but since publication certain details may have changed so please use this section as a research tool and in some cases further research may be required.
Careers Database Information By Learn Direct Advice