Forest worker

Forest workers carry out a range of practical tasks to plant, maintain and harvest timber from forested areas. The work involves clearing sites, planting young trees, pruning and other tree maintenance, felling trees, spraying insecticides, drainage work and putting up fences. Duties also include helping to fight forest fires, conservation work and enhancing public access.

Also known as:

• Forestry worker
• Lumberjack
• Timber worker

Work activities

Forest workers have a range of jobs in forested areas. They prepare new sites for forestry, including by removing shrubs, draining and preparing the ground, and putting up fences around the site. Some forest workers also build roads to enable access to and movement across the forested area. Forest workers plant and care for young trees, applying pesticides and insecticides, and clearing weeds to encourage healthy growth. Routine maintenance and care work includes monitoring trees for pests and diseases, mowing, raking leaves, digging drainage ditches, looking after equipment and mending fences.

Other tasks are spraying, thinning and felling timber. Workers will bring a tree down when it is ready for harvesting or if it is diseased or dangerous. Other harvesting tasks include sawing up timber. Forest workers use a range of sophisticated equipment and machinery, including chainsaws, tractors, harvesters and lorries. The work can be dangerous, so forest workers wear protective clothing such as heavy boots, gloves, masks, goggles and harnesses (when climbing trees). Forest workers spend most of their time outdoors in all types of weather. Forest workers also help to fight fires and take part in conservation work. They help to improve public access where this is allowed, for example, by clearing nature trails. Some forest workers have supervisory positions. They combine practical work with tasks such as ordering materials, completing timesheets, inspecting plantations and planning work.

Personal qualities and skills

To be a forest worker, you’ll need:

• To enjoy working outside in all types of weather.
• Practical skills to use hand tools and machinery such as chainsaws.
• The ability to follow safety procedures.
• Communication skills for working in teams.
• Number skills, for example, for counting and measuring.
• Physical fitness and agility.

An increasing number of forest workers are self-employed contractors. To be self-employed, you need the financial and organisational skills to set up and run your own small business.

Pay and opportunities

The pay rates given are approximate. Forest workers earn in the range of £19,000 - £30,000 a year.

They usually work a 42-44-hour week. However, they might need to have early starts, late finishes and weekend work.

Forest workers find jobs with the Forestry Commission, on private estates and with forest management companies. Opportunities for forest workers occur in regions of the UK with large commercial forests, such as Wales, Scotland and northern England.

There are opportunities for forest workers to become self-employed contractors. In recent years, there has been a shift towards this style of working.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local newspapers, on the Government’s Find a Job service, and Forestry Commission websites.

Entry routes and training

Training for this role is on-the-job, leading to vocational qualifications or craft skills awards. An advanced apprenticeship in the role of forest craftsperson is a great place to start. Some employers enable forest workers to study part-time at college for relevant qualifications, for example, through day- or block-release. It is also possible to take a full-time college course before looking for a job.

You could try to gain relevant work experience before entry by contacting forestry maintenance contractors, local tree and shrub nurseries, parks authorities and tree surgeons, for example.

Forest workers can work towards City & Guilds land-based services awards, certificates or diplomas in areas such as using chainsaws and spraying chemical pesticides. Training leading to assessment is available through colleges and independent trainers registered with Lantra Awards (Lantra is the sector skills council for land-based industries) or City & Guilds land-based services.

With further qualifications and experience, you can progress to a supervisory or management-level post. Increasingly, the forestry industry uses self-employed contractors for forest work, so you could set up and run your own business.

Qualifications

While you don’t usually need educational qualifications to start in this job, GCSEs in science subjects, English and maths, or equivalent qualifications, are useful.

If you wish to enter this career through an advanced apprenticeship, you will need GCSEs in English and maths, although you may be able to complete these alongside your programme.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Some entrants have gained relevant skills through experience, for example, in agriculture or horticulture or another area that involves using tools and machinery.

Colleges will usually consider applications from adults who don’t meet their usual entry requirements. You should check the admissions policy of individual colleges.

The Horticultural Correspondence College (HCC) and Myerscough College offer a range of courses, some by distance learning.

Related careers

• Countryside ranger
• Forester
• Park warden
• Timber yard operative
• Tree surgeon