The tree industry has lobbied government to ensure that the Arboriculture profession is now transitioning from a traineeship to an Apprenticeship. It is our hope that Arborists will soon be required to have a licence, similar to other trades such as electricians or plumbers. Unfortunately, properly qualified arborists are currently stretched a little thin in Australia.
Arboriculture has been recognised nationally as a profession affected by a skills shortage. As a result of this, there has been an increase on availability of shorter duration courses being offered by private training organisations in recent years. This allows larger companies to pay to rush through their staff using private trainers. This situation has obvious disadvantages for these students, who are not attending weekly lessons. TAFE provides a balanced learning experience and is attended weekly, meaning TAFE-trained arborists have done both more in-depth theory and more practical skills training at the completion of their course.
We encourage the public to check whether they are hiring a TAFE- or privately-trained arborist, and choose local businesses who train their staff properly. This way you are investing in safety and a higher standard of tradesmen working in your community.
Branching Out Tree Care, qualified arborists Mandurah.