Arboriculture, Forestry, Horticulture and Landscape

Trailblazer Overview of progress

Trailblazer Apprenticeships

• ‘Trailblazers’ are pilots of a completely new system for apprenticeships in England

• Trailblazers are defining how apprenticeships will work for all industries in England

• All new apprenticeships must now go through the trailblazer process

• Employer led and driven with no financial support for the development

• Run by Government Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS)

Development Process

Develop standard

BIS approve standard

Develop assessment

plan

BIS approve

assessment plan

Pilot / initiate delivery

Apprenticeship Standards

• Short documents written in clear language

• Define • The occupation

• Skills, knowledge and behaviours required

• Qualifications that are regulatory or required to gain work

• Duration for an average learner

Assessment Plans

• Explains how the apprentice will be tested against the standard

• Focus is on assessment at the end of the apprenticeship

• The end-point assessment must assess across the whole standard

• Must be appropriate, fair and consistent

• The end-point assessment must be graded

• Independence of assessment – impartial judgements

Achievements When Achievement

Autumn 2014 Ministerial approval to develop Arboriculture, Forestry, Horticulture &

Landscape standards as part of trailblazer 3

January 2015 Project plan agreed and all groups in place

May 2015 Standards drafted and consultation opens on all 4

May 2015 Successful consultation - over 200 responses

August 2015 Arborist and forest operative standards submitted for approval

September 2015 Assessment plans drafted for all three industries

September 2015 40 + providers attended a consultation event on the assessment plans

November 2015 Arborist and forest operative standards approved

January 2016 Horticulture & landscape operative & supervisor standards submitted for

approval

Arboriculture, forestry, horticulture and landscape trailblazer

Principal Group:

• to oversee the development of the trailblazer

Sub Groups:

• to develop the apprenticeship standards and assessment plans for the trailblazer

Delivery Structure

Principal Group

Chair: Ian Barrow

Horticulture Sub Group

Chair: Neil Huck, Ground Control

Arboriculture Sub Group

Chair: Ian Barrow, Bartlett Tree Expert

Forestry Sub Group

Chair: Geraint Richards, Duchy of

Cornwall

Job Roles Covered

• Arborist

• Forest Operative

• Horticulture / Landscape Operative

• Horticulture / Landscape Supervisor

Horticulture / Landscape

• Covers grounds maintenance, public green space, domestic, historic & botanic sectors

• Goals: • to develop workers with core skills required to be useful across all the

sectors covered

• Motivate apprentices to achieve excellence

• To give apprentices a broad understanding of the industry

• Feasible for employers of all sizes to offer

• Cost efficient, practical and proportionate in time for employers

• High quality consistent standards

• Deliverable for training and assessment providers

Horticulture / Landscape Operative

• A ‘hands on’ role covering a range of manual tasks, with specialist skills being learnt through progression.

• Level 2 worker

• Two years average duration

• Specialise by choosing an option – construction or horticulture

Horticulture / Landscape Supervisor

• Can manage a site with minimum supervision, supervise a team and maintain the health and safety and security of personnel and resources.

• Level 3 worker

• Three years from entry to the industry

• Specialise by choosing an option – construction or horticulture

Arborist

• Chainsaw work, aerial tree work, pruning, dismantling and using appropriate machinery.

• Undertakes aerial tree work but may also be ground-based.

• A range of tree work jobs with indirect supervision.

• Supporting the tree work team across a range of basic technical skills.

Arborist

• Level 2 worker

• Two year average duration

• Significant number of qualifications (tickets)

• Emergency first aid at work • Brushwood chipper • Traffic management • Use of a MEWP & use of a

chainsaw from a MEWP • Chainsaw crosscutting,

maintenance & felling of small trees

• Climbing, aerial rescue & aerial cutting of trees

Forest Operative

• Carry out practical operations required to maintain and harvest forests and woodlands

• Level 2 worker

• Two year average duration

• Two options • Establishment & maintenance

• Harvesting

Forest Operative – qualifications (tickets)

• Core • Emergency first aid at work • Chainsaw crosscutting,

maintenance & felling of small trees

• Harvesting • Felling trees over 380mm

• Establishment & maintenance • Pesticides – PA1 & 6 • Brush-cutters & trimmers • Forestry clearing saws

Next Steps

• Informal consultation on assessment plans • Additional scrutiny from training and assessment providers

• Completion of technical syllabus

• Submission of assessment plans to BIS for approval • Target date April 2016

• Delivery initiated late 2016 – possibly some pilots

• Drive up demand • Employers • Apprentices • Training & assessment providers

An employer’s perspective Neil Huck, Chairman of the Horticulture/Landscape Sub Group