In June of 2024, I received an email from a gentleman who said he had heard about my company from our local county workforce center. He was interested in a new career as an arborist and wanted to know if we had an opening for an arborist apprentice. At the time we did not, but he was patient, and through his persistence and our ability to obtain workforce grant dollars, we were able to bring him on in September 2024. As an apprentice, he should be able to grow his skills from novice to crew-leader level in a matter of two to three years, with structured education, on-the-job training and minimal interruption of his productivity for our company as a full-time employee.

I love this story, because after fewer than two years of having a registered apprentice at our business, we now have people contacting us on a semi-regular basis wanting to join our company. Sadly, we cannot take on all those interested, but it’s a good problem to have – a list of people wanting to work for your company.

The topic of workforce development can be an enigma for some. What does it mean, and why should you care about it? Workforce development is a topic we all should be interested in if we are interested in the mission of TCIA, “Advancing Tree Care Businesses.” Building a safer, more knowledgeable and more efficient workforce is critical to advancing our industry. The more the public observes knowledgeable people from all backgrounds demonstrating safe, proper arboricultural practices in their daily work, the more credible our industry becomes.

TCIA is already leading the way in workforce development. TCIA is recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor as an Apprenticeship Ambassador. The first Workforce Development Pre- Conference Workshop was held at TCI EXPO ’24 in Baltimore, Maryland. TCIA has partnered on apprenticeship with Husqvarna, which sponsors funding for employer apprenticeship portals and supplies tool bundles for new apprentices. Outsidecareers.org is an excellent resource developed by TCIA for anyone interested in learning more about becoming an arborist.

Take the next step
How can you take the next step in improving workforce development in your area? Start an apprenticeship program. Done properly, an apprenticeship program serves as an excellent recruiting, training and retention tool.

TCIA already has created the curriculum for you. The online portal is like a plug-and-play training system with online modules designed for the adult learner, along with skills and competency checklists a mentor at your company can use to sign off on in the field. TCIA has resources and can connect you with members in your area who have registered apprenticeship programs and can share their experiences with you.

Take advantage of free training opportunities via TCIA’s OSHA Susan Harwood Grant funding. Free courses are available through this grant all year long. Some of the courses offered include Electrical Hazards Awareness Program (EHAP), Ground Operations and Aerial Lift Operations. This training is available to employees of companies with fewer than 250 employees.

TCIA’s Arborist Safety Training Institute (ASTI) also offers free or almost free safety training for tree workers.

Community outreach
Sign up to take part in school and community career fairs. Speak to students in the classroom or in youth organizations, such as 4-H, Future Farmers of America (FFA), Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, etc. The more we can educate the public about this career field, the more people we will have to fill our recruiting funnels

Outsidecareers.org has great content to help guide you. Talk to a colleague who already does this type of outreach. It’s likely they are happy to share their ideas with you.

Create career pathways in your company and help your team envision and reach their career goals. Employees with a purpose, who know their employer is invested in them, tend to stay on longer than those who see their position as only a job and not a career.

Let county workforce centers and school counselors know who you are. Over time, you will have interested applicants flocking to you, leading to a lower-cost and more-rewarding recruiting process.

If you don’t know anyone in your area focusing on workforce development in arboriculture, reach out to TCIA. Don’t reinvent the wheel. The staff will connect you with the right person at TCIA who can help guide you to resources and to others who are passionate about workforce development in their communities.

Resources
outsidecareers.org
treecareindustryassociation.org/business-support/arborist-apprenticeship-program/
treecareindustryassociation.org/foundation/free-tca-workshops/memberservices@tcia.org.
treecareindustryassociation.org/foundation/arborist-safety-training-institute.

Megan Townsend is co-founder and chief operating officer of Altitude Arborist LLC, a five-year TCIA member company based in Broomfield, Colorado. She also is a member of TCIA’s Board of Directors.