Jeremiah Shannon
Employment: Apprentice Arborist
Industry: Arboriculture
Location: Hamilton, New Zealand
Start date: August 2020
Jerry decided to complete his arboriculture apprenticeship while working full-time with Marc Doyle Treework and while raising his young family in the Waikato.
Jerry struggled to find a career path after high school because he didn’t know what he wanted to do. However, he knew he wanted to work outside and learn new skills. So, with the help of TradeUp, an employment placement and apprenticeship support company, Jerry discovered arboriculture.
TradeUp contacted Marc Doyle Treework as they knew they welcomed arborist apprentices and that Jerry would be interested in starting his career and studies in arboriculture.
As a new young father, Jerry also wanted to find something stable to provide for his family and would get a great start with his studies by being part of their friendly team.
After meeting with Chris, Jerry understood how beneficial working in the arboriculture industry in New Zealand would be. It's a great industry; you can work anywhere in the world once you're qualified; there are excellent career growth opportunities within the Marc Doyle Treework team, and it is a steady income for his young and growing family.
Jerry has been working and studying full-time with Marc Doyle Treework since August 2020. Since then, he has completed his Level 3 Certificate in Arboriculture and is currently completing his Level 4 Certificate.
A great benefit of working and completing an apprenticeship is that you can go at your own pace. As a result, juggling family life, work, and study life has been easy for Jerry because of the flexibility of this apprenticeship scheme.
Furthermore, Jerry's skills have expanded while working with Marc Doyle Treework.
He better understands how a small business operates.
He has learned more about health and safety, what quality of work means, customer service and client relationship, people skills & administrative tasks.
He has learned how to use a chainsaw and how to use and maintain machinery.
Jerry's advice for people interested in starting their apprenticeship in arboriculture or considering joining the team at Marc Doyle Treework.
"Those interested in joining the arboriculture industry should give it a try. If you fail, that's fine. It's taking a step towards improvement. Don't be afraid or shy to ask your colleagues and boss questions about the industry and tree work.
Every day is different; you constantly learn new things and ways to complete tasks. Everyone is keen, motivated and always willing to help and pass down their knowledge to you."
Jerry’s future with Marc Doyle Treework
2023 looks very bright for Jerry. He looks forward to completing his Level 4 Certificate in Arboriculture, practising and learning daily and participating in climbing competitions around New Zealand.
Finally, Jerry aspires to become a team leader at Marc Doyle Treework and continue learning new skills, like obtaining his class 2 driver's licence.
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