Trades - Apprenticeship in Arborist Technician: Apprenticeship is a trades - apprenticeship in Forestry & Natural Resources programme offered by Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, Canada. The programme runs for 8 weeks, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 291 per total for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Trades - Apprenticeship
Field:Forestry & Natural Resources
Duration: 8 weeks
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 291 / total
Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This apprenticeship technical-training program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Langley campus serves registered apprentices working toward certification as an Arborist Technician, the first of three sequential arboriculture trades credentials recognized by SkilledTradesBC. The eight-week, classroom-based block covers tree and shrub identification, pruning, planting, rigging, felling, equipment operation, and safety practices, with curriculum developed and approved by the arboriculture industry and a focus on ground-based work that supports a climbing arborist. Enrolment requires active registration in the BC Apprenticeship system and a valid SkilledTradesBC Trade Worker Identification number, together with an employer sponsor who provides the on-the-job training hours that run alongside the in-school block; KPU reports completion of the technical training to SkilledTradesBC toward the apprentice's credential. Training schedules and waitlists are published through KPU's Registration Application, with further opportunities listed on Trades Training BC. The program suits people already working in, or seeking work in, arboriculture who want hands-on outdoor training and can meet the trade's physical demands, including staff of municipal parks departments, school boards, golf courses, and private arboriculture companies pursuing recognized journeyperson qualification.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission requires completed KPU Apprentice Registration and an active apprentice registration in the BC Apprenticeship system, plus a valid Trade Worker Identification number from SkilledTradesBC; applicants without one must complete a SkilledTradesBC apprenticeship registration form before enrolling in Levels 1 through 4, and SkilledTradesBC determines eligibility. KPU's own admissions page states that apprenticeship programmes are not subject to KPU's undergraduate or vocational English Proficiency Requirement, so no English test score or high-school English course is required. KPU Tech does not permit students to register in Apprenticeship Levels out of sequence. This apprenticeship's own page notes that applicants without a SkilledTradesBC ID must consult SkilledTradesBC to determine eligibility rather than completing a registration form outright, and that curricular requirements are set by the Arborist Technician Program of SkilledTradesBC.
Application Details
Application Deadline:KPU classifies most programs as Open Intake, meaning every applicant who meets minimum institutional requirements is admitted without ranking, while a smaller set of Limited Intake programs closes earlier. For the Fall 2027 (September) term, both domestic and international applications open on 1 October 2026; Limited Intake programs have a firm deadline of 1 March 2027 and may close earlier if demand is high, while Open Intake programs stay open on a rolling basis through a confirmation-deposit deadline of 15 June 2027 to a final cutoff of 1 July 2027. Spring (January) and Summer (May) entry follow the same open/limited pattern on an earlier timeline, and KPU applies identical deadlines to domestic and international applicants throughout. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
