Climber or Arborist?

[Dean Lofthouse]

I have had a University Professor bring me a drill in for repair.

 

Told me it had just stopped working all of a sudden.

 

First thing I checked was the fuse, hey presto!

 

You just can't get a qualification for common sense, if they did do one, there wouldn't be many holding degrees in it

[Mike Hill]

My dad has had fourth year Engineering students that were unable to change the battery in a cordless drill!

[skyhuck]

My dad is a joiner, when he took his City & Guilds exams one of the papers was how you work arches and curves. There are various formulas you have to learn that help you calculate the curve, my dad is dyslexic, like me, so me could not remember the formulas, so he used his own method to calculate the arches and curves, he showed his working out on a separate sheet of paper.

When the papers had been marked the tutor asked to speak to my dad, he told him that he was the only student they had ever had who had got all the curves and arches 100% correct but the test was to see if you knew the formulas so he failed

 

So if you want an arch building you could get a man with the bit of paper to say he knows the formula, but may not know how to apply it!

 

Or my dad can work it out spot on but, he won't have the bit of paper.

[Steve Bullman]

that about sums up my feelings on the whole matter skyhuck

[Frank]

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arborist

[Amelanchier]

I agree with your sentiments Dean, Huck & Steve. All an assessment can ever do is show that you can pass an assessment on a given day.

 

However, I'm a of a different generation and I think that has a major bearing on my attitude to the issue. It was drummed into me at school that your academic qualifications were a way of standing out from the crowd - So get as many as you can, 'cos everyone else is!

 

Point being, in terms of employment, If you and I climb the same, cut the same and cram as much stuff in the chipper but I have a diploma in tree stuff... The boss should employ me. And you should go and get two diplomas for next time!

 

I can't count the number of exams and tests that I have sat, its ridiculous it probably adds up to weeks of my life. And I'm certainly not the best tree worker. But I think, for my personal career path, the relentless pursuit of more and more qualifications has helped, its given me momentuum and drive to improve.

 

Whether those bits of paper actually mean anything? Some of them do, some of them don't. Some of them are an absolute joke. Some of them are quite an achievement.

 

There's this thing called CPD. Continuing Professional Development. That's what we should focus on, and it doesn't have to mean sitting exams or listening to some guy ramble on about cutting edge research into Paclobutrazol - it can just be bettering yourself over time however best suits you. Sir.

 

[Frank]

Exams etc, can put you in the right direction but the university of life teaches you sooooo much more.

[Micke]

I’m probably a bit ingenuous but I thought that at least most of the members were tree workers with the emphasis on arborist and the climbing just was a tool to do a good job?

[munkymadman]

i'm with tony. well i never finished my foundation degree, short by 4 months. silly i know but i don't regret it. i took home the knowledge but not the piece of paper so i'd still call myself an arborist. of course my CV says i have finished it. no one's ever asked me for proof. i managed a company for a bit, twas weird wearing a shirt. handled it just fine. paper is important for the initial interview but if your not up for the job they'll suss you pretty quick, and you'll be back where you started.

[Trav013]

I think that before you can call your self an arborist you need to have the qualifications (the piece of paper) ie ISA cert or what ever dipolma from what ever Arb college untill then I dont believe you are an qualified arborist.

 

Yes you may have a lot of plant knowledge and years or experience on the job and have done a lot of reading of arboricultre text but until you sit the tests and pass exams you are not an arborist.IMO

 

I would regard myself as climbing going through the proccess of certifcation.