TreeForce pre-apprentices and the City of Denver forestry department pose together after a day of pruning practice.

It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention, and that was precisely the path that led to launching TreeForce, a workforce-development program with a unique approach to filling Denver’s urban tree care needs. The program falls under the umbrella of The Park People, a private nonprofit that works with various Denver-area communities – including Littleton, Broomfield, Westminster and the City of Aurora – to plant trees and improve parks in and around Denver. Their vision is “Thriving, Green Communities for All,” and their work has included everything from offering free or low-cost trees to Denver residents and hosting “Community Forester” workshops, to planting “Tribute Trees” in memory of special occasions or deceased loved ones.

TreeForce Field Crew Supervisor Laura Prickett helps pull trees for pre-apprentices to plant.

Taking action
In 2021, the principals of The Park People – Executive Director Kim Yuan-Farrell and Program Director Lindsay Cutler – sought out opportunities to further serve the green-industry community. It was then, according to Workforce Development Manager Jane Smith, that it was brought to the group’s attention that Denver had an estimated shortage of 200 workers in the tree care industry per year, creating a large gap in the city’s care for its canopy. “Urban trees in Colorado need a lifetime of care,” says Smith. “All the challenges the urban environment throws at them, from weathering our extreme temperature swings to periods of intense drought and heat, require expertise and sustained effort, from planting through to removal and reuse.”

Smith notes that TreeForce was both “a dream realized and a timely intervention for meeting an urgent need in Denver’s workforce landscape.” She continues, “The Park People already had that magical combination of strong leadership support, adequate resources of time and money and a high level of trust in our integrity and expertise from our funder. And at the time, there was just such an energy around climate action and environmental equity – trees were really having a moment.”

The result was that staff at The Park People used their years of experience to bridge the needs gap and connect people in priority populations, specifically justice-involved individuals and underserved communities, with meaningful careers in urban tree care. “Many people don’t realize this is a viable career path that pays family-sustaining wages and provides great opportunities for growth,” notes Smith. “Careers in tree care show some of the highest job-satisfaction rates in the country. It’s a science and an art, and also a very physical job. Tree care companies in the Denver metro area are looking to improve both recruitment and retention – they need entry-level employees who have basic skills and know what they’re getting into.”

To that end, says Smith, “We seek out folks who are interested in joining TreeForce as pre-apprentices. The program is approximately seven weeks and pays $20 an hour for 26 to 28 hours a week. We’re training in the basic skills needed for the industry: tree biology, tree ID, climbing, pruning. Everything being taught is an intro to a full-fledged apprenticeship, which hopefully would be provided by a future employer.”

TreeForce pre-apprentices pose with their certificates of completion on graduation day.

The partners who make it happen
Smith emphasizes that the TreeForce program would not exist were it not for the support of a network of dedicated workforce-development partners. “In the early stages, we built a local community of people to bounce ideas off of and turn to for support. I think because we did so much listening, people really felt their voice was heard and that they had a hand in shaping the program. As a result, when we sought out industry partners to serve as instructors, on-the-job training partners and hiring partners, we had an enthusiastic response. We currently have 10-plus industry partners – these folks have really rallied around us from the beginning.

“We work closely with and rely on the support of multiple municipalities, as well as private tree care companies,” Smith continues. “Mid-sized companies have joined us; for example, Altitude Arborist in Broomfield has invited our crews to their shop to learn the basics of chipper use. We’ve had independent arborists offer a day of instruction in their specialties, such as plant healthcare. And larger companies, like SavATree, hired some of our first graduates.”

One of those partners who’s been instrumental in building TreeForce’s success is Paul Cancik, forestry operations supervisor for Denver Parks & Recreation. He notes he’s had a long-standing relationship with The Park People, particularly through efforts to provide trees to Denver residents and strengthen the city’s urban forest. “When TreeForce launched, it aligned closely with our own workforce development and equity goals,” he says. “I became involved in 2023, supporting their hands-on training efforts, particularly around pruning techniques, and providing exposure to career pathways within municipal forestry and the broader arboriculture industry.”

So far, says Cancik, he’s been pleased with the level of commitment he’s seen in pre-apprentices. “Many come into the program with limited exposure to arboriculture, so there’s a steep learning curve. That said, the majority are engaged, motivated and genuinely excited to learn new skills. And most take the training seriously, demonstrating confidence and professionalism as the program progresses.

“We’ve seen strong results locally (with placing graduates into promising careers),” he continues. “The City and County of Denver has hired several TreeForce graduates into our nursery and forestry field-operations teams. Many are actively working toward licenses and certifications that increase their long-term competitiveness and career mobility in the industry. From my perspective, TreeForce is not only building a pipeline of workers, but also helping develop committed professionals who see arboriculture as a viable and meaningful career.”

Ryker Washer graduated from the Fall 2024 TreeForce cohort and now works for The Park People as program associate.

Something for everyone
Especially for small and mid-sized companies that may not have their own in-house training program, TreeForce provides an avenue for hiring qualified candidates who already have a great deal of training under their belts – a win-win. “They (smaller companies) know that people who go through TreeForce are walking onto the job with valuable knowledge about trees,” says Smith. “They’ve gone up into trees, they’ve planted, they’ve been assessed on their skills. And most important, they are actively choosing to go into the field.”

TreeForce also provides opportunities for smaller companies to participate in the program on a number of different levels. “Companies can volunteer to come speak with our pre-apprentices on career skills days, they can offer training support, they can help pre-apprentices practice their interview skills on Mock Interview Day. They can take on graduated pre-apprentices as interns and also share any job openings they have with us. And we love it when they host some of our staff for a few days so we can continue to hone our skills on job sites.”

Choosing recruits with the right stuff
The other side of the coin is putting together a cohort of desirable pre-apprentices – a multi-faceted task, according to Smith. “We’ve been so fortunate to partner with Second Chance Center (SCC) for recruitment. They’re an organization that works with individuals who are justice involved, whether formerly or currently incarcerated. Initially they were our only recruitment partner, but we’ve grown to the point that we’re now recruiting from wrap-around service providers and other workforce-development organizations, including those that serve people facing other barriers to employment, like food insecurity.”

Most TreeForce applicants are in their late 30s to early 40s. As far as diversity, Smith says her team tries to prioritize underserved populations; more than half of TreeForce grads hired into the industry have been BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color), and a third have been women, nonbinary or genderqueer.

During the interview process, Smith asks questions like, “Do you get along with other people?” and “Do you like heights and being outdoors?” Finally, she likes to ask, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Smith adds, “We know the industry wants people who will show up to work on time, who want to do outside work in all kinds of weather and who will be committed to staying in the industry. And if the applicant has a case manager, we like to ask questions of them, too.”

Smith offers up a wonderful success story, a graduate named Douglas Blackard who currently works for SavATree. “Doug had no experience in tree care, and now works for SavATree and has been promoted multiple times.”

According to Blackard, he was attracted to the TreeForce program because “I could get into an industry that would theoretically never go out of practice. That was my main motivation in applying, with the help of my friends from Second Chance Center.

“TreeForce definitely changed my life,” he continues. “I wouldn’t have anything I have right now if it wasn’t for them. They took me in and taught me a trade, advocated for me when nobody else would and even took a step further and got me an internship with the City of Aurora, which led to my employment with SavATree. I’ve been able to transfer closer to my son. I’m able to support myself and him, and I don’t have to worry about where money is going to come from. That’s how they changed my life.”

Blackard says he loves being part of the tree care industry. “My favorite part of the program would have to be the climbing aspect. I definitely feel like I’ve found my calling as a Tech III in this industry.

“TreeForce and The Park People worked with the City of Aurora to help me get some of the best training anybody could ever receive,” adds Blackard. “Then SavATree took me under their wing, and I’ve been there ever since. Not only do I get to spend more time with my son, but I also get to travel all over the country doing tree work. I love my job, and I love the work I do. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Jane Smith, workforce development manager of The Park People, oversees the TreeForce pre-apprenticeship program.

Career-skills training
In addition to teaching arborist skills, the TreeForce program has a career-skills component culminating in Mock Interview Day. “This increases the touch points with our industry partners,” says Smith.

“I invite everyone I can to participate – the majority of folks who show up are not our partners. They might be from small companies that can’t always take a full day to help us with training, but they’re from a long list I keep of people who’ve been interested in TreeForce. We have a list of questions participants can see ahead of time, but I also ask tree care folks to bring their own questions. It’s a great way for them to get to know our pre-apprentices.”

Recruitment is actively underway for 2026 cohorts. With a “sweet spot” of 10 to 12 participants, Smith says she’s already received 43 applications early on in the process. “TreeForce is still a fairly new program, so we’re proud that our graduation rate is at 80%, and our retention rate is quite a bit higher than the 30% year-one retention rate for the industry.”

Getting an education of her own
Smith laughs when asked about her own tree care background and knowledge. “Coming on board, I basically had none!” she says. “My background is in education, where I spent 12 years. But I’ve learned so much since I came to this job (in 2022). In fact, I was just up in the mountains learning how to cut down trees. It was pretty exciting!”

Despite having limited arborist knowledge, Smith says her education background has served her well as she coordinates the various aspects of TreeForce. “I’m surprised by how much of workforce development is about education,” she says. “Running a workforce-development program in tree care requires best practices in adult education as well.”

The Park People’s arborist, Amanda Westendorf, conducts a tree health check with pre-apprentice Kat.

Conclusion
When asked about the industry’s response to TreeForce, Smith is quick to note its resounding approval. “We have amazing industry partners who believe in the program, who give their time and expertise to make sure our pre-apprentices are learning industry best practices and establishing important connections along the way. And word of mouth continues to grow.

“We also have an amazing in-house arborist, Amanda Westendorf, and two field-crew supervisors, Laura Prickett and Ryker Washer, who are some of the best teachers and trainers I know,” Smith says. “An interesting aside … Ryker was a TreeForce participant in our Fall 2024 cohort.”

Smith sums up her thoughts by saying, “I’m always genuinely surprised by how many people keep answering their phones when I call, readily volunteering their time, energy and resources to train and support our pre-apprentices, as well as our staff. I’m so proud to be involved with these folks who are so committed to the industry. Not only do they keep coming back, but they also help us navigate the curriculum. It makes me feel like I belong, this former English teacher who had no experience in tree care at all.”

Patricia Chaudoin has been a freelance writer and editor for more than four decades, in areas as disparate as tree care, golf, weddings, luxury travel and international non-profit NGOs. She has been writing for TCI Magazine since 2016. Click the links to learn more about The Park People and TreeForce, or email Jane Smith directly at jane@theparkpeople.org.