Student Arbo Field Day/Workshop

JD3000

JD3000

Most well-known member
Location
Columbus
Yo.

At Columbus State we're developing an arboriculture major, as some of you have heard me mention in the past. I have a few questions and was looking for some comments and hopefully draw on any experiences any of you have had regarding similiar matters.

1.) Are we suffering from a Kevin Costner Syndrome? "If you build it you it, they will come..."
Some of us have looked at enrollment plummeting in the past few years in hort/landscape/design/related Green Industey fields and pessimisticly wonder if students in Ohio will actually gravitate towards a certificate or degree program in Arboriculture. Sure it will be marketed to all appropriate schools and whatnot but is there a lack of interest amongst Millenials?Thoughts?

2.) We're putting together a high school student field day for this May. We're thinking it will start off with an intro ceremony thing in an auditorium then move into stations. General Safety, pruning, large equipment, small equipment, PHC, etc. Specific safety issues and procedures would be brought up at each specific station as well. Seems a good day if events to me. There are many headaches on many other fronts hiwever from areas such as student safety, legal, transportation, who and how to admit interested students, etc etc etc. Many issues on those subjects and many more but the first to come up has been funding. We received $5K from the Tree Fund but that will get swallowed up quickly just by food and beverages. We are currently contacting all the Big Companies seeking sponsorships and equipment demos as well as the better local privately owned companies. One point I made was that any company that gets involved with this will likely be putting in far more than they get back (at least at first...hopefully...) in hopes of finding future employees and drumming up interest in the industry.

Have any of you been involved with a similiar student day?

Anyone nearby interested in helping in any way?

What else?
 
I'm local to you and technically a millennial [shutters], I also often take my kids climbing with me (ages 5, 11 & 13) so i have experienced the difficulties of trying to teach "kids these days" a skill we all apparently inherited naturally back before mobile electronics ruined childhood...

In what way could I be of help? Let me know of you come up with anything!
 
I was involved in some similar intro day programs with archaeology (long story and a long time ago) and one thing we learned very quickly with high school kids is that they have rather short attention spans. This is probably worse nowadays with kids used to really exciting movies, video games, instant communication and texting each other, etc. Important to grab their interest as quick as possible. So, perhaps spend as much of that $5K as you can on rope and gear, and use the intro day to get them straight into some trees. A love and fascination with trees is why a lot of people are arborists and this is what I would start. Get the use of some big trees on campus or in a nearby park, then a safety orientation on the spot as you also familiarize everyone with the harnesses and some quick basics, then turn'em loose. You go up with them of course, to answer any questions, encourage, assist, etc. For any of them that survive this with serious continued interest, then it's time for the lectures and the books. Another thing to remember, if you also have potential students who are older, like maybe ex-servicemen coming back to school, is probably not to mix them with the school age kids in an intro climb. This would be awkward and intimidating both for the kids and the older ones. Just my tuppence!
 
What sort of market research has been done with respect to the future interest in this type of work? I think the focus on millenials is shortsighted and potentially suggest it is premature to begin.

While we know there's a shortage of skilled workers in our field, is there an interest amongst millenials and the following cohorts and and what form does it take? How will the job description change to meet the needs of employers but also be viable career choices for future generations? Your syndrome concern is valid and needs some testing to determine if it is founded.

What is the forecasted demand for various roles? Does this program serve a mid-level entry point with more upward mobility? Will a graduate see a PHC tech or jr climber role in a small company as a viable starting point? Big employers can provide a greater variety of opportunities with upward paths but small companies, which i'd say are in the majority, are limited.

Instead of selling this to prospective students, maybe it's time to invest in some focus group with millenials and gen Z to learn who among them desire a career with the dynamics we offer from the very least of the roles to the highest level.

Then employers can better formulate job descriptions to attract the right people and schools can better design courses to prepare students for those jobs.

My $0.02...
 
When I recall my first tentative climbs back in the day, it occurs to me that a great advantage you have in sparking kids' interest in climbing, is that there is so much great kit now! Even if you avoid the gadgets and start with basic hitches and techniques in an intro, the rope itself is gorgeous stuff! Every colour of the rainbow. I mean, honestly, even here on the Buzz we stay fascinated with all this ourselves! Man, it was hard to get excited over manila rope and a bloody crude saddle that left you barely able to walk afterwards.
 
We will be inviting the trade oriented high schools that have landscape and ag oriented programs for sure. Turns out there are more of them than I expected. The Ohio Landscape Olympics was a hit this past season and we think turnout will be pretty good.

As far as the attention span thing I'm with you. There should be plenty of loud and shiny equipment to keep most of them interested.

Rob you bring up many fine points, most if which I have no idea on. I can tell you that classes have been adjusted based on the recommendations of the industry members on the development board as well as ISA and TCIA. As far as the outlook for actual students enrolling, I don't have a clue.

Student workshop aside, I feel we should reach out to the tree care companies to send us folks that may or may not already be certified but are definitely interested in getting better. Lord knows you don't really need to take classes to pass the CA exam but as we all know, that test proves the minimum amount of knowledge to get started and should be looked at as a commitment to continuing education and self improvement.

Jack, that's a bit morose but I get what you saying. I would add that most of us didn't get into this with the expectation to get rich but rather felt a calling to work with and amongst the trees.
 
Also just remembered we are also starting an apprenticeship program for students and local employers. Classes on some days and work on the others.

This does require some level of commitment and paperwork from those who are apprentincing as the potential problem has always been that a company would time, money, and resources into a person to see them jump ship for greener pastures shortly thereafter or during this time period.
 
JD3000 said:
Also just remembered we are also starting an apprenticeship program for students and local employers. Classes on some days and work on the others.

This does require some level of commitment and paperwork from those who are apprentincing as the potential problem has always been that a company would time, money, and resources into a person to see them jump ship for greener pastures shortly thereafter or during this time period.
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Have you talked to the Ontario chapter of the ISA? They have an apprenticeship program. I went through it the first year it came out. Mangoes was the lead climbing instructor. In class happened through the winter months. This was done in partnership with the feds up there. Apprentices are paid through the government employment insurance (EI) program (That would be UI down here.... bit Orwellian?).

I liked it as it covered me during the low season while giving me an opportunity to climb without any concern for making a buck. For companies it can actually work to retain employees.
JD3000 said:
I can tell you that classes have been adjusted based on the recommendations of the industry members on the development board as well as ISA and TCIA. As far as the outlook for actual students enrolling, I don't have a clue.
Click to expand...

When I was in the high tech training field getting students was the easy part, the challenge there was ensuring the course material was sufficient for what employers were needing. In our business we have a dual challenge, which I think you've covered the one side - employer - while the other side is still in doubt. May be worth doing some group studies with those that are in the trade schools and other students. Maybe with veterans as well. That would seem to be a natural talent pool. The only caveat there is they have additional needs in the way of career transitioning that would need to be addressed.

Good to see a school taking on the full spectrum of vocational development in our field.
 
Thanks for it all Rob. Keep it coming.

Your point about Big vs small companies is all to true but everyone is looking for someone. Some want chiefs, some want Braves, and some want Braves that want to be Chiefs.

We really want to gear classes, both lectures and practicum, to be based on what employers feel is needed if not lacking.
 
While Im not alumni of Umass Stockbridge I regularly attend functions where the school is involved. I know that the number of students enrolling in the arboriculture program is ridiculously low as of the last few years. They spoke about a summer intro class for high school kids recently that they are trying out. IMO it may make sense to reach out to some of these other schools for feedback. If theres a serious lack of interest in the field general it may good to know exactly what your up against.
 
JD3000 said:
We really want to gear classes, both lectures and practicum, to be based on what employers feel is needed if not lacking.
Click to expand...
I was working on a multimedia program many years ago. We invited multimedia company executives and owners to a roundtable session to get there input. It really was revealing in what they sought from new graduates. Made our course design much better and easier to market to students.

I'd do the same thing with future students.
 
Being a millennial and going to college for Urban Forestry, I think the best thing you can do is have them go out and touch the trees and get them climbing. Our local college came to our high school and we were able to climb with current students and learn a little about the program. Get them involved, don't just lecture.
 
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