I became interested in land-based industries when quite young, as I used to help my dad out in his landscaping business.
I am now a Modern Apprentice in Trees and Timber working on Falkland Estate. There’s 2200 hectares in total, with more than 600 hectares of forestry. My days are pretty varied and include working with chainsaws, fencing, landscaping, machine maintenance, tree climbing and pruning, tree planting, sawmill work, timber extraction, orchard management, grass and weed control, path maintenance and general estate work.
Most of what we do involves cutting trees, extraction and then making them into a useable product like milled timber or firewood, so I really enjoy seeing that process.
Training and learning have helped me further my knowledge of the industry and gain a better understanding of the jobs that it entails. In the rest of my apprenticeship and afterwards, I plan to go on and get more qualifications and experience. In the future I would like to start my own business with the industry.
I would encourage anyone to join the industry, as it’s great for working outdoors in a practical environment.”