The great big "Profession/Professional/Professionalism" debate.

[Spruce Pirate]

I do not consider tree cutting to be a "profession".

 

I do, however, consider myself to be a professional tree cutter.

 

:confused1:

[Andy Clark]

I put my view across in the othr thread, and that is that I do not view us as a professional level. Semi-skilled labour, on the whole, is a correct (IMO) position. This is not knocking the skills of an adept climber, or groundie (for they can have skills too ) but on average, most tree people are at this level. A few, definitely the minority, have moved on beyond this level, becoming skilled in the use of the Spoken Word, and Writig with a Pen even:stupido: these are still not professionals, just a little bit cleverer than the bloke still grafting on the ground, and they get to sit in the truck out of the rain. Others have far more eloquently described the meaning of a true professional, so I shan't bother.

 

 

Andy,

 

Just as a point of interest then, professional footballers.

 

Degree level education to be classified as professional? Or just bloody good at kicking a ball, to the point that they can make a living at it?

 

Could the same then not be said for a climber/cutter/faller/groundie etc?

 

 

 

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I am nothing more than a skilled labourer, sure ive got a bunch of tickets and CPD coming out of my eyeballs, but I am not "qualified" therefore cant be "professional"

 

and the fact remains,as others have said it takes very little to learn how to cut bits off trees, so little that I know several trained chimps that do it, least I think they are chimps, they certainly drag their knuckles on the ground! lol

 

I think the question is are YOU a professional at what YOU do and how you do it?

 

Do you enjoy going to work, looking forward to the tasks ahead, will you also put your full effort into that task with dedication and be willing to increase your understanding just a little bit everyday?

 

if the answer is yes, then I think its fair to say YOU are a proffesional

[Jesse]

Tony, I consider myself to be one, don't care what anyone else thinks ,I have worked hard from the gutter to now, tools to pen, AA I'm happy with that interpretation, of me now ,a working class acknowledgment, that's how I interpret it. M.Arbor.A That's as close as I will probably get, but that's OK, Insurance company's happy with it and I also get involved with the odd expert witness stuff, in fact lots of different clients ask advice and pay well for it , you never stop the process of learning and it took me 6 years of adult education including a stint at university , its been hard work and cost a lot of money but at least now having semi downed the tools I can derive an income using my brain and a pen. In my view knowing you I would consider you worthy of an Honorary award, based on that you are a distinguished individual who merits special recognition for your genuine achievement in the field of Arboriculture, one day I'm sure you will achieve recognition , but remember you heard it here first from me . forget the negativity resonating from this thread, we should all strive to better ourselves . Nothing more than a skilled laborer, I think not.

Edited October 26, 2013 by Jesse

[Jesse]

And please don't anyone think I'm a jump t up armhole , I have had a very hard life.

[Ty Korrigan]

Ha...

If the public didn't view my business as 'professional' then we wouldn't be doing as well as we are.

Sign written, clean roadside yard, decent web presence, well turned out staff blah blah blah.

One thing that tickles me is that several expat tree fellas call themselves 'professional tree surgeons' I imagine to distinguish themselves from the amateur ones I guess.....hhh!

 

I'm a businessman first and a tree man second.

Some out there like to hug their trees, I just like to hug the clients cheque.

No-one has yet asked me to show my tickets and rarely for a photocopy of my insurance.

They take it on trust we are 'professional' and not a bunch of rank amateurs.

Having said that, my team and I are all tree enthusiasts who all have a deep rooted interest in all things arboricole.

Ty

[skyhuck]

Ha...

 

 

One thing that tickles me is that several expat tree fellas call themselves 'professional tree surgeons' I imagine to distinguish themselves from the amateur ones I guess.....hhh!

 

 

Ty

 

Maybe its because they only do tree work, many Co's are landscapers who also do tree work.

[Pilgrimmick]

I do not consider tree cutting to be a "profession".

 

I do, however, consider myself to be a professional tree cutter.

 

:confused1:

 

Best answer yet!

[Dean Lofthouse]

I think someone who takes time out to study his trade ( very few do ) and gain extensive knowledge, whether they back that up with a piece of paper to say they have done it or not should be classed as professional.

 

There are a lot of people in the industry that are only interested in cutting trees and are very skilled and knowledgable in all aspects, rigging forces, tree dynamics, loads leverage forces etc etc, they have taken time out to study it.

 

There are also lots of people who know all the above plus the biology of trees, pests, disease, soil chemistry, diagnosis etc etc

 

There are people that take it a step further and study mycology on top

 

Then there are people that just want the money out the job, they are not interested in how a tree works, cause and consequence, they don't even know a basic pruning cut, if mrs biggies asked them to prune her apple tree they would just top it, they go to work, cut trees, go home put their gear away and that's it.

 

Many people have a library of expensive books, they spend time study and gaining knowledge ( being on arbtalk is one of those methods of gaining knowledge) and actually take an interest in their trade and are always eager to learn more.

 

What really niggle me is people thinking that the only way of expressing knowledge is through a piece of paper saying you have studied and passed an exam. Those exam results can have a pass rate as little as 50 to 60 %, which to me is a joke

 

Degrees now are handed out like smarties and don't have the prestige they used to have which is a shame. I see many people with degrees that would have trouble changing a fuse in a plug.

 

My mate, after thirty dot years as a tree surgeon had to do his NPTC chainsaw ticket to comply with his insurance, he spent 2 years at college when he started in 1979.

 

Trees, rigging, forces, dynamics, diseases, treatments, diagnosis, mycology etc etc, take a lifetime to learn, to say someone isn't a professional , just because they don't have formal qualifications is quite a bigoted point of view

[Quercus-90]

What he said.

 

Many people do tree work as a profession but do it in a very unprofessional manner.

In my area I estimate 80% act unprofessionally.

 

 

Sent with my iPhone from me, to you!

 

Well said!

 

 

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