Student undertaking chainsaw work outdoors in a lesson

Location: Treherbert

Study Time: 3 days per week

Course Length: 1 year from September to July

Minimum Age: 16 years old (no maximum age)

Cost: Tuition is fully funded for anyone aged 16+, no matter your qualification level, as long as you are a UK resident. You will just need to ensure you can cover your own costs of living for the duration of the course.

Equipment Requirements: Warm waterproof clothing and shoes for working outdoors, and chainsaw safe trousers, boots, helmet, and gloves.

Our Forestry and Arboriculture NVQ will help you to develop skills and knowledge for a successful and rewarding career in the trees and timber sector.

Perfect for those looking to work outdoors, care for natural landscapes, and learn the skills needed to manage trees, woodlands, and green spaces sustainably. You’ll study outdoors in the Rhondda Valley, and gain practical skills that are in high demand. This course is ideal for anyone wanting to build a strong foundation in the forestry and arboriculture industry.

Website
https://blackmountainscollege.uk/study/further-education/forestry-arboriculture/

What will I learn?

You will cover a wide range of essential and relevant skills, with a particular focus on sustainability and health and safety.

Within this NVQ, students will also undertake an external Chainsaw Maintenance and Felling Course, providing you with an additional, sought-after qualification.

Units covered include:  

  • Tree identification and their properties
  • Tree planting
  • Chainsaw maintenance and use
  • Cross-cutting and tree felling
  • Producing wood fuel in a forest
  • Creating greenwood products
  • Traditional woodland management techniques
  • Tool sharpening and maintenance
  • Site structure maintenance and repair
  • Vegetation and pest control
  • Environmental conservation and public access
  • Teamwork, communication and leadership development

Why study Forestry & Arboriculture?

You will study in beautiful and unique woodland settings. This course equips you with the knowledge and skills to work sustainably with nature, contributing to the conservation and management of our natural landscapes.

After this course, students may be able to:

  • Move onto a Level 3 course or higher in Forestry and Arboriculture, Land Management, Green Woodworking and Coppicing, or Environmental Conservation
  • Use transferable skills for employment opportunities in the trees and timber sector
  • Start a career as a self-employed or salaried Tree Surgeon, Forestry Worker, Woodland Conservation Officer, Woodworker, or Countryside Ranger
  • Use this qualification towards entry to the BMC undergraduate course, BA (Hons) Sustainable Futures: Arts, Ecology and Systems Change

 

Applications for a September 2025 start are now open! Apply early via our website to secure your spot. You will need to complete a short interview with our friendly team.

Further Education Prospectus - Black Mountains College_4.pdf20.59 MB

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Woodland

There are around 3.2M ha of woodland in the UK. This is set to increase substantially over the coming years due to a range of policy, social, environmental and commercial drivers, including Net Zero, Biodiversity Net Gain, ELMs, Local nature recovery plans and carbon trading.

Land Use

Land use refers to the way that land is used and managed for various purposes, such as agriculture, housing, industry, and recreation.

Sustainability

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Land Management

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Black Mountains College

A unique college in and around the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, Wales, to create a future where nature and humans thrive. BMC focuses on the challenge of our times: how to build a fair and just society within safe planetary boundaries. We believe in education that empowers people to build resilience in the face of the climate and ecological crisis. Our approach is built on rethinking traditional learning to foster the skills, creativity, and systems thinking needed for a more sustainable future. Our countryside-based campus is a living classroom, with access to biodiverse landscapes that inspire and challenge our students to connect deeply with nature.