Urban Forestry Arborist Apprentice

Urban Forestry Arborist Apprentices (UFAAs) participate in a prescribed curriculum in which they learn to plant, maintain, and remove trees, landscape, and turf growing on the City of Milwaukee’s boulevards and green spaces, with an emphasis on arborist duties.

The Urban Forestry Arborist Apprenticeship is a three-and-a-half-year program that includes 5,400 hours of on-the-job learning and 440 hours of paid instruction encompassing all aspects of tree care, from planting and pruning to managing diseases and insects.
This comprehensive program prepares Arborist Apprentices for promotion to Urban Forestry Specialist (Journey Worker Arborists).

More information about the Arborist Apprentice opportunity, selection process, and upcoming information sessions can be found at the following link: milwaukee.gov/ufaa.

The City of Milwaukee’s Urban Forestry Arborist Apprentice Program is regulated by the State of Wisconsin Workforce Development-Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards. To learn more, visit their website: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

Apprentices will be trained to perform the following duties:

• Prune trees by means of safely climbing and using a rope and saddle while working at heights of 60 feet and higher in accordance with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 Pruning Standards and ANSI Z133 Safety Standards.
• Prune shrubs from the ground according to accepted horticultural practices.
• Perform tree rigging on the ground and aloft.
• Plant, maintain, and remove trees, shrubs, and other landscape plants on City boulevards and green spaces.
• Perform plant health care activities, such as treating trees and shrubs to prevent common pests and diseases.
• Operate large vehicles, such as aerial lifts and 2½-ton dump trucks.
• Operate specialized power equipment and hand equipment on the ground and aloft, such as mowers, skid steers, small tractors with buckets or forks, stumpers, chainsaws, chippers, trenchers, backhoes, pipe pullers, sprayers, tree injection equipment, and other hand and motorized equipment.
• Perform field maintenance on some power equipment.
• Construct, repair, and maintain concealed irrigation systems.
• Adhere to ANSI, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), and departmental safety standards at all times.

• Participate in the removal of downed trees and limbs and in the abatement of hazardous conditions caused by wind, snow, and ice storms.
• Participate in snow and ice control operations, including plowing snow and salting City streets.
• Recordkeeping and Training Participation:
• Maintain records and daily activity reports.
• Attend approved related training, and satisfactorily complete the prescribed course material.

We welcome qualified individuals with disabilities who are interested in employment and will make reasonable accommodations during the hiring process in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 200.

1. Valid driver's license at time of application closing; valid Wisconsin driver’s license at the time of appointment and throughout employment.

2. Good driving record at the time of application closing and throughout employment.

3. At least 18 years of age at the time of application close.

4. Graduation from an accredited high school or one of the following at the time of appointment:

A) completion of a Wisconsin General Educational Development (GED) (or GED from another state that meets Wisconsin GED standards),

B) High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED), or

C) completion of a home-based private educational program, provided the applicant can provide copies of the State of Wisconsin Form PI-1206.

NOTE:

The anticipated start date will be in March 2026.

5. Respond to emergency call-outs and report within 60 minutes or fewer at any time during the day or night, any day of the week, for tree damage operations, snow and…