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TRAINING & EDUCATION Training and Certification: An Opportunity for Growth By Michael "House" Tain M any careers and professions in North America have some form of training and certification system — whether it is the apprentice to journeyman route of a union electrician, the student to resident to doctor path in medicine, or even the proficiency and conduct matrix used for promotion and movement between grades/ranks/rates within the military.Yet, among gatherings of the tree tribe, training and certification can often be a contentious subject for discussion. Training and certification systems, regardless of occupation or profession, are intended to provide the participant with the basic skills to complete a task safely and efficiently; and also evaluate whether or not the participant does indeed possess those skills, or has still retained them after an arbitrary amount of time in the profession. It is, in essence, an attempt to establish, at the minimum, a baseline which shows that if an individual is certified, they are at least capable of these basic skills and have this basic knowledge. A commonly heard argument against training and/or certification in the tree trade is the citation of years of experience, and, the followup,"what more could the individual learn?"The reality is that experience — although it has some value — can be not only a hard taskmaster, but also an ineffective one.After all, if a climber has 10 years of experience, but every year has consisted of freefall spur takedowns of conifers with no rigging required, how prepared is that person for broad canopy oak deadwood pruning, or even a conifer takedown with multiple hazards and targets requiring rigging? Although training or certification do not guarantee competency, they do go a great deal further toward that guarantee than Johnny's statement that he's been doing this for years with his daddy, and we just need to get the hell out of the way so he can get to work. There are a wide variety of training and certification options available in modern arboriculture.Although this article should not be considered a comprehensive resource, it will discuss some of the options and resources available — along with what users might expect to gain and learn. Certifications Although some states and municipalities do offer and/or require certifications related to tree care in their bailiwicks, two primary national tree care organizations offer certification in a number of arbor-related specialties — the International Association of Arboriculture (ISA) and the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). • International Society of Arboriculture:The ISA (www.isa-arbor.com) offers 14 Arbor Age / April 2013 An example of training in a seminar setting where techniques and tools are typically demonstrated to students, rather than practiced by the students. Photo by J. Cornfield certification programs for arborists, tree climber and aerial lift specialists, municipal and utility specialists, and board certified master arborists.Any and all of these certifications have value in numerous ways — not only do some contracts require ISA certification, but an applicant who is an ISA Certified arborist,climber,or aerial lift specialist gives a prospective employer an idea of at least baseline capabilities.The willingness to learn, study and achieve a certification should also demonstrate to a manager or employer that the employee is serious and passionate about the profession of tree care. www.arborage.com