Arborist Tutor

Central YMCA is the world’s first YMCA and a national charity dedicated to transforming lives through education, skills and employability, helping young people and adults gain the confidence, qualifications and experience they need to build brighter futures. We’re seeking an Arborist Tutor to deliver the Arborist Apprenticeship Standard across the Midlands. If you have industry qualifications and experience training apprentices, we’ll fully fund your assessor qualification and support you to develop your teaching skills.

What we offer:

• Fully funded assessor qualifications – with paid study time and mentoring built in
• 30 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• Extra paid leave for your birthday, a mental health day, and up to five volunteering days a year
• Flexibility to work full‑time, part‑time or flexible patterns – tell us what works for you
• Home‑based working when not on site with apprentices
• 4% contributory pension scheme and life insurance
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Charity Employee Discount Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme – free confidential support (including counselling) for you and your immediate family

About you

You’re passionate about developing the next generation of arborists and helping apprentices build the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to succeed. Whether you’re an experienced Arborist Tutor, Assessor, or professional looking to transition into teaching and assessing, we’d love to hear from you.

Essential

• Recognised arborist qualifications, including industry tickets (although these are not taught by you as a tutor)
• Occupational competence or technical knowledge in the arborist industry
• Credible experience of providing training & mentoring in the industry
• Solid practical, hands‑on capability in arboriculture, gained through industry experience (tree surgeon) or through the practical elements of recent training, e.g.:
• Tree identification and understanding of tree biology
• Tree planting, establishment and aftercare
• Tree inspection and hazard identification
• Tree pruning techniques, including formative and maintenance pruning
• Safe tree dismantling and sectional felling (where appropriate)
• Aerial tree work and climbing techniques (if delivering or assessing these elements)
• Use and inspection of arboriculture equipment and machinery
• Tree pest and disease identification and management
• Site risk assessments and safe systems of work
• Knowledge and application of health and safety legislation, including working at height and LOLER requirements
• Environmental legislation, wildlife protection and biosecurity
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across the Midlands region
• Great communication skills and the confidence to build rapport with learners and employers alike

Desirable

• An assessor qualification (A1/CAVA or equivalent) – if not, we’ll fund it and support you to achieve it in your first months
• A teaching qualification, or experience tutoring or mentoring
• Familiarity with e‑portfolio systems or apprenticeship funding rules

About the Role

As our Arborist Tutor (Apprenticeships), you’ll guide apprentices from their first day right through to EPA (End Point Assessment), delivering engaging training on site and online, assessing competence in the field, and building strong relationships with learners and their employers. You’ll also play an important role in developing and maintaining strong employer partnerships, promoting our apprenticeship programmes, supporting the recruitment and enrolment of apprentices, and identifying opportunities to grow our provisions across the region.

Day to day, you’ll:

• Deliver one‑to‑one or group practical and knowledge teaching sessions to apprentices
• Conduct workplace reviews and progress meetings
• Assess learner work and provide constructive feedback via our online portfolio
• Set SMART targets and agree next steps with learners
• Monitor learner progress against target completion dates
• Manage your own diary & caseload of apprentices throughout their learning journey, including: sign‑up, teaching & learning, ongoing assessment, progress reviews, End Point Assessment preparation and completion
• Keep learner records accurate, timely and audit‑ready
• Maintain regular contact with employers and workplace mentors
• Build trusted relationships with employers across the region, opening doors to new apprenticeship & business opportunities

This is a rewarding opportunity to help shape the next generation of arborists while delivering high‑quality apprenticeship programmes that create lasting value for learners, employers and the communities we serve.

Reasonable adjustments

Central YMCA is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you are shortlisted for interview and require any reasonable adjustments or additional support at any stage, please let the Hiring Manager know when you are invited to interview so we can arrange appropriate support.

Safeguarding responsibilities

This role involves daily contact with learners and regulated activity relevant to children. All staff have a responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people, and/or vulnerable adults for whom you are responsible and with whom you come into contact. The Charity’s Safeguarding Policy is available from the Central YMCA website.

Regulated activity

This position is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and the Charity may request applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including “spent” convictions unless protected by DBS filtering rules) to assess suitability to work with children. Shortlisted candidates will be required to complete a disclosure form prior to interview.

Pre‑employment checks

Any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of our pre‑employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references, a satisfactory prohibition from teaching check (where applicable), verification of right to work and identity, and original qualification certificates relevant to the role.

Equal Opportunity

Central YMCA welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. We do not discriminate on these grounds.