Arboriculture Competency Testing   

ARBORICULTURE CANADA
TRAINING AND EDUCATION LTD

Certified Arboriculture Technician

Many organizations are beginning to request competency testing for their staff.   Competency Testing is available, after which successful participants will receive a Certificate of Competency, Certification wallet cards, Certification stickers and badges for each discipline tested.  This is documentation for employers and employees of an individuals’ competence in a skills discipline.  This certification results in a Certified Arboriculture Technician in specific skills disciplines.  Each test is conducted in the field, where skills are demonstrated through a combination of hand’s on demonstration, as well as verbal replies to questions.  Supervisors and company owners can request to view a testing format for a particular discipline to gain a better understanding of our testing process.

As of March, 2008 there are over 300 Certified Arboriculture Canada Technicians across Canada in various skill disciplines.

Facts about the Certified Arboriculture Technician program:

• Although training is recommended, prior training by Arboriculture Canada is not required before requesting an evaluation. 
• The assessment provides a process for verifying skills and competencies that is independent of a specific training program. 
• An individual can be a Certified Arboriculture Technician in one skill discipline or several. 
• Certificates are issued for each successful discipline achieved. 
• A Certification wallet card displays all current certifications.
• Certification in any discipline expires after 3 years and requires re-testing to extend the certification.
• The testing is a combination of hand’s on demonstration, as well as verbal replies to questions.
• The criteria for knowledge and skill base which makes up the components of each test is reviewed annually by a group of professional arborists and trainers across North America which span across a large number of segments of the arborist industry.
• The content of each evaluation is influenced by the vast experience our trainers and professional associate experts encounter as they work with and train the varied segments of the arborist industry.
• The evaluation is administered by trained evaluators, who have already been certified in the specific skills discipline and is performed in a standardized manner in a safe and secure environment.