We are proud to announce that Bridgwater & Taunton College are now an approved training provider for the recently launched Forestry Training Fund, a government scheme designed to help cover training costs for short, practical forestry courses.
The Forestry Training Fund is for people who live or work in the UK who are considering a change of career or those who are seeking to build and diversify their skills in forestry. These Training courses will help grow our skilled domestic forestry sector, which is worth over £2 billion to UK economy, and deliver Government tree planting and net zero ambitions.
The short, practical training courses will be paid for a by £700,000 allocation from the £750m Nature for Climate Fund and will help grow the forestry sector so that we have enough people with the right skills to plan, plant and manage new woodlands.
This announcement forms part of the England Trees Action Plan to ensure the UK has a sufficiently large and skilled domestic forestry sector to support a long-term increase in planting, establishment, and sustainable management to deliver Government tree planting and net zero ambitions. It also forms part of wider government action to create new green jobs across the country and boost the economy.
Forestry Minister Trudy Harrison said:
We need to continue the legacy of our skilled forestry workforce to increase tree-planting across the country. More woodland is vital for nature’s recovery and also essential to increase our security of UK grown timber and deliver on our net-zero commitments. We have many fantastic foresters already, but there aren’t enough to grow and manage our woodlands at the planned scale over the coming decades. Our free practical forestry training courses will create green jobs, bring more people into the forestry sector, and help existing workers build on and diversify existing forestry skills to meet this demand.
Forestry Commission Chief Executive Richard Stanford said:
The Forestry Training Fund is a really valuable resource, accessible to anyone moving into the forestry sector. The Fund will help people build and diversify their skills in forestry by offering training in essential skills from woodland management to planning and planting, which are important to creating resilient forests and woodlands.I encourage people from all backgrounds and abilities interested to apply, whether that’s a farmer looking to upskill or an individual looking for a rewarding career in forestry.
The government is offering 100% funding for eligible courses and expect grants to be in the range of £150-£3,000. Funding will be paid directly to the College. Applications for funding to cover training courses can be made multiple times as long as it can be demonstrated that individual courses are developing a person’s career.
Simply contact us to enquire about upcoming courses and potential dates so that we can reserve you a space. Then visit the Forestry Training Fund portal, fill in an application form giving details of the course you would like to undertake, and if successful, course fees will be covered and paid directly to the College.
Current courses which are covered by the fund include:
- Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross-Cutting Level 2 Award (formerly CS30)
- Felling and Processing Trees up to 380mm Level 2 Award (formerly CS31)
- Principles of Safe Handling and Application of Pesticides Level 2
- Safe Application of Pesticides using Pedestrian Hand Held Equipment Award Level 2
Our courses run on demand and can be booked by individuals or employers. In some instances, they can be tailored for the individual business and delivered on-site. To find out more, speak to the land-based commercial team on 01278 655026 or email land-based@btc.ac.uk
For more information about our Arboriculture courses go to www.btc.ac.uk or call 01278441234.
