TCIA that he could explore.
Trade shows and conferences being what they are, our conversation was in- terrupted by the lure of CEU-granting breakout sessions, and we parted ways with thank you’s, marketing collateral, and a business card. This particular owner had a perfor- mance gap that he was having a hard time closing. Technical training was most likely the best intervention to close that gap. And, in his case, he was mostly unaware of the resources (albeit poten- tially sparse) that were available to him. The following is a partial list of options that might bring resources not readily apparent to bear. • Browse the TCIA Events Calendar or TCIA Training Calendar • Contact ASTI and get connected with training • Contact a local ISA chapter and browse their event offerings • Attend or host a Tree Stuff party • Browse the Contract Climber Directory at treebuzz.com • Check out training and networking opportunities at trade shows and expos: ° ArborEXPO
John Ball's safety presentations are a must-see for tree care workers.
show: “Where do we go to get this kind of training?” Of course, I informed him that there were training companies, including Academy Trained, that offered this kind of training. However, the reality for many tree companies (especially small companies like his) is that the availability and expense of commer- cially delivered technical training oen creates barriers that are hard to over- come. Location, schedule, and travel/ tuition expenses all have to align. I pulled out my phone, and together we explored the options. We discussed technical training options offered by the Tree Care Industry Association’s (TCIA) Arborist Safety Training Insti- tute (ASTI), trade show training oppor- tunities, including Expo Climb at TCI Expo, and the employment of contract climbers. Contract climbers can be a good solution, because they bring leadership, technical, and training expertise to an organization without the hoops and expense of bring- ing on a full-time employee. A final option I mentioned, given that we were in California, was that sever- al California community colleges offer a five-week program developed with
Goal One: Improve Job Performance I had the pleasure recently of attend- ing the Western Chapter International Society of Arboriculture ’s 90th annu- al conference and trade show in San Diego, CA, with Academy Trained and the Two Tree Guys Podcast . Academy Trained had a small stage surrounded by an aluminum truss with different climbing systems on display for demo purposes and training talks. At one point, I was approached by an energetic industry veteran, who ges- tured to the climbing systems on stage and greeted me with: “You want to hear something crazy? I own a tree company. We’ve been doing this for 50 years, and nobody knows how to ascend a tree.” I was still trying to process what he said when he continued: “Did you hear what I just said? I said we’ve been doing this for 50 years and nobody knows how to enter a tree with this stuff," he said, gesturing again to the climbing systems. "We still use lad- ders to get up there. Isn’t that crazy?” Then he asked the mother of all ques- tions for a training company at a trade
° TCI Expo ° ArborFest ° Treetopia
• Team up with the competition and form a strategic alliance. Not only might you get help with training, but you might find subcontracting oppor- tunities. • Contact your local colleges, tech schools, and economic development offices. You might have to make a few calls to find the right point of contact and, depending on your area, there may be several or just one. When grant monies are dis- tributed by state and federal agen- cies, these agencies help distribute
64 | ArborTIMES Summer 2024
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