Can you start in tree work as a ground worker?
What O*NET, the National Careers Service and Tahatu say about ground-level work, entry education and the qualification each one lists.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
The sources below describe ground work differently, and only one of them names it as a way in. This page sets out what each says. The longer routes are in routes into tree work, and the apprenticeship route is in apprenticeships.
England: the profile names ground work as a start
The National Careers Service profile for a tree surgeon says a person may be able to start as a forest labourer or groundworker, helping a qualified tree surgeon. It then says further training on the job can follow in the use of chainsaws, ropes, ladders and harnesses. It lists the other ways in as a university course, a college course and an apprenticeship, and it names two apprenticeship standards, the Arborist Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship and the Forest Craftsperson Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship. It also says a Certificate of Competence is needed for hazardous chainsaw tasks, and that the person must be able to cope with working at height. For the chainsaw ticket question, see UK chainsaw tickets.
United States: ground tasks sit inside the one occupation
O*NET does not have a separate ground worker occupation. Its Tree Trimmers and Pruners entry, code 37-3013.00, lists Grounds Worker, Groundsman and Laborer among the reported job titles alongside Arborist and Climber. Its task list includes ground-level jobs: hoisting tools and equipment to tree trimmers and lowering branches with ropes or block and tackle, feeding limbs and brush into shredding and chipping equipment, loading debris and refuse onto trucks, and collecting debris from trimming and removal into piles using shovels, rakes or other tools.
For entry, O*NET puts the occupation in Job Zone 1 to 2. Its description for that zone is very little to some preparation needed, usually a high school diploma or GED, with some occupations needing little or no previous experience and on-the-job training that ranges from a few days to one year. When respondents were asked how much education a new hire needs, 57 percent answered less than a high school diploma, 37 percent a high school diploma or equivalent, and 4 percent some college without a degree. These are survey answers about the whole occupation, not about ground work alone.
New Zealand: the page names a qualification
Tahatu, the government career site, says a qualification is needed to become an arborist: a New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Arboriculture) at Level 3 or a New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Services at Level 4. It lists experience in similar work, climbing or elevated work platform experience and a driver licence as things a person may need. It says people in school usually do not need specific NCEA levels. Its task list for arborists includes cleaning up branches after tree work. It does not describe a separate ground worker job.
Side by side
| Source | Ground work as a start | Entry requirement stated |
|---|---|---|
| National Careers Service (England) | May start as a forest labourer or groundworker helping a qualified tree surgeon | Apprenticeship, college or university course, or working towards the role |
| O*NET 37-3013.00 (United States) | Ground tasks listed inside the tree trimmer occupation; Grounds Worker is a reported title | Job Zone 1 to 2; 57 percent of respondents answered less than a high school diploma |
| Tahatu (New Zealand) | Cleaning up branches is one listed task; no separate ground job | Level 3 or Level 4 certificate named |
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 for the National Careers Service profiles.