City & Guilds Level 1 Diploma in Land-based Operations
The best way to learn practical skills is hands on – and with BTCV that’s exactly what we specialise in.
Whether you are interested in:
- working outdoors
- helping the environment deal with climate change
- improving access to the countryside
- simply managing land resources more effectively
We can teach you the skills you need – and with our Diploma training packages you learn by tackling real tasks on real sites, making a difference while you gain knowledge, experience and a professional qualification.
Previously run from sites in East and West Sussex we are launching a new group at Singleton Environment Centre, in January 2012.
These courses could provide a stepping stone into land management or parks jobs, countryside warden posts, expand the 'wilder side of nature' skills for gardeners and landscapers or help landowners manage their own sites more effectively.
What's involved?
City & Guilds Level 1 Diploma in Land-based Operations (Ashford) Courses run for two full consecutive days each week over 6-7 months, allowing for Bank and school holidays.
There are workshop and classroom sessions to provide and test your underpinning knowledge, but most of the time you will be out on site tackling a variety of tasks in a variety of locations/ habitats.
Assessment is a continuous process, mainly carried out through observations while on task, but you will also need to produce a portfolio of evidence. This will comprise various items such as diary sheets and on site photographs detailing the work undertaken, short written reports and some question and answer theory sheets. Classroom time is provided for the completion of these.
All tools and specialist personal protective equipment are provided by us, along with transport from the training centre to various project sites. Collection can also normally be arranged from the nearest railway station for people reliant on public transport.
In addition, training in charcoal burning for NCFE Level 1 Award in Creative Crafts is normally available as part of the package.
Precise costs will vary depending on the qualification(s) studied.
How doe the course work? Diploma courses comprise a number of individual units, which act as building blocks towards the final qualification. Some of these units are compulsory and some are optional, but may be interdependent in order to secure sufficient credits to attain the final award.
Level 1 Diploma in Land-based Operations This is an ideal introductory course which allows you to get to grips with a variety of tools and learn how to safely carry out a variety of tasks in traditional ways.
Units covered normally include: Health and safety Maintaining equipment Maintaining surfaces and structures (benches, fences etc) Planting and establishing plants Habitat management (pond clearance, coppicing etc) Hedgelaying
NCFE Level 1 Award in Creative Crafts Where possible students are given the opportunity to engage in a charcoal burn project. Successful completion of this element gains the additional NCFE Level 1 Award as part of your Diploma package.
First Aid A one-day training session may be available as part of the Diploma package.
Specialist machinery training We can also offer additional training for domestic use or industry recognised qualifications in the use of certain machinery such as brushcutters and chainsaws. These are stand alone courses which incur separate fees.
General information All courses run for 2 consecutive days a week over a period of 6-7 months, dependent on holidays etc. Working days are normally 9am to 5pm, allowing for variations dependent on the task and weather conditions.
Courses are practical and outdoor as far as possible with workshop and classroom sessions to allow for planning, gaining underpinning knowledge, and keeping evidence portfolios up to date.
Please note: The various courses are largely identical in terms of content across the training centres that offer them. There may be some minor variations in topic or timing, dependent on local sites in use and seasonal constraints/ demands. Not all levels of course are available at all sites.
Courses operate on a rolling and sometimes staggered, programme. As a result start dates will vary from year to year and site to site.
