Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum is to launch a bespoke training programme for early-career arborists, thanks to a gift of £44,000 from the Mila Charitable Organisation.
There is currently a shortage of skilled arborists in England, as young people struggle to find opportunities to undertake this expensive and specialist training. By funding the programme's first two-year apprenticeship post, the charity's generosity will enable the arboretum at Nuneham Courtney (known as Harcourt Arboretum) to play a key role in addressing this challenge.
Recruitment for the apprenticeship will begin in 2019, with the successful applicant completing industry standard qualifications whilst gaining practical, hands-on experience of arboriculture. At the end of their training, the apprentice will be equipped to carry out a wide range of tasks, including tree surgery and felling, tree planting and maintenance, and the identification of tree species, common tree diseases and pests.
The new arborist apprenticeship programme will complement Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum's well-established training scheme for early-career horticulturalists. Together, the two programmes will help to ensure the protection and continued development of Oxford's world-class plant collections.
Professor Simon Hiscock, Director of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum, says: 'We are delighted that at long last we will be able to offer training in arboriculture to compliment the training we offer in horticulture. We are extremely grateful to the Mila Charitable Trust for this most generous gift.'