Först, the woodchipper supplier, is helping to support the next generation of arborists through its partnership with Capel Manor College.



The Middlesex based college, which has over 3,000 students, offers a wide range of land-based courses including Arboriculture & Countryside, Saddelry & Leatherwork and Horticulture & Landscaping.

Först donated an ST6 woodchipper to the college for their Arboriculture & Countryside courses after meeting with the college lecturers and students last summer. With over 200 students spread across Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Professional Short Courses and Apprenticeships, the wheeled machine plays a vital role in providing practical training for wood chipping and felling courses.

Predominantly used by apprentices and Professional Short Course students, the machine enables students to achieve their required Certification of Competence, allowing them to begin their career in their chosen arborist sector.

Speaking of the partnership, Derek McFarland, Deputy Head of the School of Arboriculture & Countryside at Capel Manor College, said, “The donation of the Först ST6 woodchipper has genuinely been a real benefit for students, allowing future tree surgeons access to quality equipment.

“When training our students, their safety is always of the upmost importance and Först machines are, in my opinion, the industry leader for safety innovations. The safety features including the Autointelligence feed control and LED lights, are weather proof, low maintenance and robust, with the innovative design of the touch sensors preventing them from breaking down, which is often the case with safety buttons.

"In addition, they are the quietest machines I’ve encountered, which is another fantastic safety feature for the students, ensuring they can hear their course mates and lecturers at all times.”



The ST6 was donated to the college last year after the students and staff were invited to Först’s factory in Hampshire to receive exclusive training on the machines and discover how they are manufactured.

All Capel Manor Arboriculture students are independently assessed on the ST6 after receiving thorough training, which allows them to begin work within their chosen role including Arborists, Tree Surgeons and Rangers.

Derek continued: “As many of our students are apprentices, it is extremely important that they receive the correct training and receive their accreditation to allow them to progress with their career. It is such a benefit that the students can be trained and assessed on the machine, allowing them to progress with their career.”

Doug Ghinn, Director of Först, said: “Supporting the latest generation of arborists to achieve success in their chosen career is of extreme personal importance to myself and the Först team. Not only do we want to supply the industry’s leading machines, we also want to support the industry and help students to as many resources as possible.”