Lantra say they are set to kick-off a major national showcase event for land-based industries by championing the future of training and qualifications in the sector.

Representatives from the training and qualifications awarding organisation will be attending the forthcoming Arb Show 2022 which will feature at the APF Exhibition 2022 - that takes place at Ragley Estate in Warwickshire, from September 22 until September 24.

Stephen Roberts, head of instructor network at Lantra, is scheduled to be the first speaker at the event at 10am on September 22, and during his speech he says he is planning to highlight the work of Lantra the awarding organisation offering training courses and qualifications in forestry and arboriculture.

Mandy Maynard, Lantra's national development manager, and Sean Duffy - head of industry partnerships (Forestry & Arb), will also be attending the event which is set to attract around 22,000 visitors and more than 300 exhibitors.

Lantra will have its own stand at the event and will deliver demonstrations of two-rope working in light of recent legislation changes in that field.

In the demonstrations’ area, Lantra will have two of their Verifiers available to demonstrate and advise on safe working practices which are compliant with HSE and are now used in the revised Lantra tree climbing training courses.

Lantra say they worked with the Arboricultural Association and HSE to ensure all its training and qualifications were updated to reflect these changes and that they were clearly explained within the materials.

For those who are still unsure about the revised two-rope requirements, Lantra has a range of Aerial refresher courses available, and these have had ‘TG1 2020’ added to the course title to ensure climbers and employers are up-to-date with additional requirements.

The courses available are:

• Tree Climbing and Aerial Rescue (TG1 Update 2020) Refresher;
• Tree Climbing, Aerial Rescue and Use of a Chainsaw from a Rope & Harness (TG1   Update 2020) Refresher;
• Use of a Chainsaw from a Rope & Harness (TG1 Update 2020) Refresher;
• Tree Pruning (TG1 Update 2020) Refresher;
• Aerial Tree Rigging (TG1 Update 2020) Refresher.

To find out more about these courses and where they are delivered, click here. 

Commenting ahead of the event, Stephen Roberts, said, “I am delighted to be speaking at this prestigious event and spotlighting training opportunities in forestry and arboriculture. So, if you want to learn more about training courses, or how to become a Lantra Instructor or Assessor, then I urge people to come to this event which is a major highlight in the forestry and arboriculture calendar.

“People are leaving the industry, maybe through retirement or pursuing other opportunities, so we need to attract more people in to drive forward the future of these sectors.

Sean Duffy, head of industry partnerships in Forestry and Arboriculture, said, “Lantra is incredibly excited to be attending the show after the forced Covid break. It will be the first time we’ve been able to meet some of our industry contacts face to face since the last event back in 2019. We’re really looking forward to meeting our fellow F&A enthusiasts and sharing all that’s new from Lantra.”