NPTC's do they need tightening/stricter assesment?

[MattyF]

nptc's should only be taken by apprentices and people already in the industry who need them... To many people are getting them that should not, just to pay assessors wages IMO

[Rupe]

Agreed. NPTC training is a healthier industry than tree work, thats for sure.

 

It used to be that NPTC training served the tree industry, i.e the training and assessments were paid for by tree workers (or companies) that wanted to progress (or their employees to progress). Now training is paid for by money that does not come from the tree work indusrty and there is far more of that money.

 

The bank of mum and dad mostly but also from those changing careers.

 

Too many people hear the words "you need a ticket to get a job" and they take that to mean "if you have a ticket you will get a job". Neither is really true, but employers dont need to pay for training anymore as everyone in the world has an NPTC ticket the problem for employers now is finding someone who can actually do the work and the NPTC ticket is a zero indicator of that.

 

For me personally, the criteria for starting an NPTC course should be 12months employment in the industry, that may be harsh so lets say 6 months.

 

Seeing as no one is being employed in the industry at the moment then the numbers going for training would drop hugely but the standards of those turning up for the course would go up hugely and then (with a decent trainer) they might actually learn something useful.

 

So employers could hire people to drag brash with no tickets (they can now anyway) instead of having numpties with tickets that think dragging is beneath them, and then IF they last 6 months they might send them to get a basic chainsaw ticket, and so on like that. The numbers dropping out of work cos its too hard in the first six months would be huge and so no worries, at least they haven't wasted their inheritance on pointless training for non existant jobs.

[sean]

Agreed. NPTC training is a healthier industry than tree work, thats for sure.

 

It used to be that NPTC training served the tree industry, i.e the training and assessments were paid for by tree workers (or companies) that wanted to progress (or their employees to progress). Now training is paid for by money that does not come from the tree work indusrty and there is far more of that money.

 

The bank of mum and dad mostly but also from those changing careers.

 

Too many people hear the words "you need a ticket to get a job" and they take that to mean "if you have a ticket you will get a job". Neither is really true, but employers dont need to pay for training anymore as everyone in the world has an NPTC ticket the problem for employers now is finding someone who can actually do the work and the NPTC ticket is a zero indicator of that.

 

For me personally, the criteria for starting an NPTC course should be 12months employment in the industry, that may be harsh so lets say 6 months.

 

Seeing as no one is being employed in the industry at the moment then the numbers going for training would drop hugely but the standards of those turning up for the course would go up hugely and then (with a decent trainer) they might actually learn something useful.

 

So employers could hire people to drag brash with no tickets (they can now anyway) instead of having numpties with tickets that think dragging is beneath them, and then IF they last 6 months they might send them to get a basic chainsaw ticket, and so on like that. The numbers dropping out of work cos its too hard in the first six months would be huge and so no worries, at least they haven't wasted their inheritance on pointless training for non existant jobs.

 

Well said Rupe!!!

[WorcsWuss]

Excellent reasoning as ever Rupe.

I did my tickets with 3 other guys, all time served woodsmen from the Eastnor estate, I learned as much from them as I did the instructor.

Tickets as a prerequisite to doing anything in the industry is wrong in my opinion, not least for the huge investment.... Learning from experienced people over months on real situations is far better than a short course....

[Chris Sheppard]

Well said Rupe!!!

 

What he said ^

[Rupe]

I need to try and be more contraversial! People keep agreeing with me, that can't be right!

 

The NPTS are (I thought) supposed to be a check that we are all on the same page re safety standards, they are not meant to be instruction on how to do the job, so the idea that a person holding an NPTC is in some way "qualified" is a non sense, and widely misunderstood by those paying for the courses.

 

Instructors should IMO turn away 90% of those coming along to courses.

 

We, as proffessional contractors, are supposed to turn away all the topping jobs, or at least talk the clients into much cheaper (in the long term) healthy pruning, thus doing ourselves out of future (all be it more bad) tree work.

 

Why shouldn't instructors do the same?

[Rich2484]

IMO tickets are just to get past the red tape.

 

I have worked with people who have no tickets at all and they are the best operators I know. Not just arb but machinery aswell.

 

I have also known the same people who have failed assessments because they have not fulfilled the criteria. But they are more than able to use machines.

 

Its the same old that we have seen and heard for a long long time now. Just because you have all the tickets under the sun doesn't mean you are any good.

 

I have worked with one chainsaw operator who had his tickets and he had no regard for the use of the chainsaw and was using it like an axe. Also drove it straight into a very very easy to spot 8ft metal fence snapping the chain... For some reason I never worked with him again....

[arbogrunt]

hmmm, I view NPTC tickets in two ways; when hiring staff, you know they are at an acceptable level to gain experience in the job (if they got both - result) 2. It means they are qualified to do the job - in the eyes of insurance companies/local authorities etc. Having tickets does not mean you can DO the job...that comes from experience. Too many people expect too much from people who have just done a 5 day course or so!. Lets face it, who is going to be proficient with a chainsaw in 2 days?!

[markieg31]

when ever i have had a job in the industry i have worked a day for free so that my prospective employer can see how brilliant i am.

 

i think the nptc are a bench mark of competency and a first step in that area.

 

not all that shines is gold so dont look at what tickets people have and look at what there work is like and see how they get about the tree.

[Rupe]

I was thinking about my rather harsh comments to the instructors out there.......

 

Not going to change what I said, but just to add, if any employers think that NPTC means the person they are hiring knows how to do the job then that as much their own fault as the person thinking an NPTC is a gaurantee to a job.

 

It works both ways.