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Forestry England is now a DfE approved apprenticeship employer-provider, delivering the Level 2 Forest Operative Apprenticeship to prepare its own apprentices for a career in forestry. The move is helping the organisation develop its workforce by providing essential skills within an environment that promotes and prioritises excellent health and safety standards.
Forestry England has offered apprenticeships to trainee foresters in England since 2013, with Forest Operative apprentices learning to carry out the practical operations needed to sustainably manage the forests of the future. The organisation’s newfound status as an apprenticeship employer-provider means it can now avail of much-needed funding to support the costs of training.
James Simpson, Forestry England’s Director of Operations, said: “This is a critical step forward for Forestry England’s apprenticeship programme. Apprenticeships are an important tool to give trainees the opportunity to progress down a clear career path in an exciting industry. We have had high success rates on our training programme, with 23 past apprentices working with us at Forestry England and others in the wider industry after their apprenticeship.”
Alongside the specific skills – such as an understanding of the principles of forest management and equipment use and maintenance – the Level 2 Forest Operative Apprenticeship prepares apprentices with the foundations needed for their career, including health and safety, which is built into training from the beginning, with tutors reinforcing Forestry England’s safety first approach in the workplace.