How do you become a tree surgeon in the UK?

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here.

The National Careers Service job profile for a tree surgeon says there are four ways in: a university course, a college course, an apprenticeship, or working towards the role. The same service has a separate profile for an arboricultural officer, a post that tree surgeons can train for with experience. England's apprenticeship and course details are the ones the service names. The wider guide for the country is starting in the United Kingdom.

The four routes in the job profile

University. A foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in forestry, arboriculture, countryside management, forest management or woodland ecology and conservation. The profile gives 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or HND, and 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree.
College. Courses in arboriculture, forestry and arboriculture, or the T Level in Agriculture, Land Management and Production. Entry requirements vary by course.
Apprenticeship. Arborist Level 2 Intermediate or Forest Craftsperson Level 3 Advanced. They usually take a minimum of 2 years and mix on-the-job training with learning off site. The profile gives some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, for Level 2, and 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths, for Level 3.
Work. Start as a forest labourer or groundworker helping a qualified tree surgeon, then complete training on the job in the use of chainsaws, ropes, ladders and harnesses. The profile says private training providers and further education colleges offer these courses.

What else the profile lists

It says a tree surgeon needs to cope with working at height and to have a Certificate of Competence if carrying out hazardous tasks with a chainsaw.
It says a driving licence and a vehicle may be needed to travel to jobs.
It suggests volunteering with groups such as the Tree Council, Forestry England and the Woodland Trust for early experience.
For progression it lists becoming a supervisor or manager, training as an arboricultural officer, starting a business, or moving into recreational tree climbing.

The apprenticeship standard

The Skills England page for the Arborist standard, ST0223, shows version 1.0 approved for delivery on June 27, 2017 and version 1.2 with the occupational standard and end-point assessment plan revised, earliest start December 2, 2024. It says that from September 1, 2025 a revised Lantra Level 3 Award in Accessing a Tree Using a Rope and Harness and Aerial Rescue is accepted in place of two earlier awards. It also says completing the apprenticeship makes a person eligible to apply for Entry-Level Environmentalist status through the Society for the Environment. The same page gives Level 2, a typical duration of 18 months, a typical assessment period of 3 months and a maximum funding of £12,000.

What HSE says about training

HSE's page on training and certification for tree work says all workers must be adequately trained and competent. It says employers provide health and safety training at induction, when risks are new or increased, for refreshers, and when a supervisor finds weaknesses, and that employers provide it in working hours at no cost to the employee. The ticket question is covered on its own page: do UK tree workers need a chainsaw ticket.

Contains public sector information published by the National Careers Service, Skills England and the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

How do you become a tree surgeon in the UK?

The four routes in the job profile

What else the profile lists

The apprenticeship standard

What HSE says about training

Sources