October 15, 2012
Preparing for busy fall season
By Sally Harvey CLT, CLP
Manager Education and Labour Development
Landscape Industry Certification 2012 had a busy written test season last winter and the hands-on test day in Milton in July and at Kemptville College at the end of September. The final test of the year is at Milton in October.
This year we have seen a trend with more candidates registered for turf maintenance than in the recent past, when hardscape and softscape installation were the more popular tests. Please note that due to popular demand to help prepare candidates for their upcoming practical test days, we repeated the candidate orientation this year in Milton on Sept. 21. We will continue to offer more orientation sessions in the future.
To register as a candidate, judge or sponsor for the last of the season’s practical and written tests, go to www.horttrades.com/landscape-industry-certified.
Remember, that volunteering to judge a practical test provides you with re-certification points for your own designation, and also engages you in networking opportunities with like-minded individuals. If you have not judged, I highly recommend it.
Sponsorship of Landscape Industry Certification testing has grown this year, as sponsors recognize the value of direct marketing to a dedicated audience of industry professionals. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, go to www.horttrades.com/landscape-industry-certified-sponsorship.
New this year is the Destination Inspiration Theatre, where the breakfast events will take place. This area will be transformed during the trade show into a learning theatre that will feature short demonstrations to provide inspiration, training and networking.
We are also excited this year to launch the revised Landscape Industry Certified Horticultural Technician test aimed at the Retail Garden Centre sector. Visit booth 648 to find out more about the 2012 test planned for November. To celebrate the growth of Landscape Industry Certification, we will also introduce a Plant Identification Challenge for attendees to hone, or prove their skills at this important area of horticulture. Students are most definitely welcome to participate. The exact location is to be determined, but watch for signage directing you to the booth.
In addition, right across from booth 648, we will present a new and improved Job Board/Classified wall for active members and associate members to post employment opportunities and resumes. These postings also will appear on LO’s website for 30 days, post-show, adding even more value to your membership at http://bit.ly/joboard.
As has been the case over the last few years, we will continue to host written tests for all Landscape Industry Certification designations at Expo. This year it is scheduled on Oct. 16, the night before Expo, at the Doubletree Toronto Airport Hotel. To see more about certification, go to www.horttrades.com/landscape-industry-certified.
This book helps business owners plan ahead, and learn ways to advance their businesses by improving processes and company culture. This helps to make firms more productive and more profitable by participating in seminars provided by your association from the five pillars of the Prosperity Partners program:
For business owners interested in identifying and understanding gaps, and who want to identify areas for development and expansion, register for the one-day Building Your Prosperity seminar on Nov. 14. This will guide you through assessing your business by using the five pillars framework of the Prosperity program. Register at www.horttrades.com/seminars/2012-11-14/PP00.
Some of our members have even found benefit from taking the course again as their businesses change. Mike Hayes, AllGreen Tree Service, says, “This seminar helps identify your blind spots and makes sense of what’s going well, and not so well, with way more clarity.”
Once again, this year’s content is directed by our members through participant and member feedback opportunities and our Professional Development working committee, chaired by Richard Rogers.
Some of the new topics that you can expect this year include: Building a business from the ground up, understanding customers, recruiting and retaining skilled workers, the effective supervisor, introduction to social media, sports field irrigation, rainwater harvesting and conservation, intermediate flagstone, concrete: the next level, advanced green roof maintenance, improving your landscape plans, advanced Google Sketchup, essentials of grounds maintenance estimating and apprenticeship and certification training and exam preparation.
We are very pleased to introduce a new online learning section this year to improve access for those under time and geographical challenges.
The 2012-2013 Professional Development Guide will be available at Expo 2012. It was mailed with this issue of Landscape Ontario magazine. If you need extra copies, please contact kathymclean@landscapeontario.com, or download an electronic copy at www.horttrades.com/seminars.
Contact Sally Harvey at sharvey@landscapeontario.com
Manager Education and Labour Development
Landscape Industry Certification 2012 had a busy written test season last winter and the hands-on test day in Milton in July and at Kemptville College at the end of September. The final test of the year is at Milton in October.This year we have seen a trend with more candidates registered for turf maintenance than in the recent past, when hardscape and softscape installation were the more popular tests. Please note that due to popular demand to help prepare candidates for their upcoming practical test days, we repeated the candidate orientation this year in Milton on Sept. 21. We will continue to offer more orientation sessions in the future.
To register as a candidate, judge or sponsor for the last of the season’s practical and written tests, go to www.horttrades.com/landscape-industry-certified.
Remember, that volunteering to judge a practical test provides you with re-certification points for your own designation, and also engages you in networking opportunities with like-minded individuals. If you have not judged, I highly recommend it.
Sponsorship of Landscape Industry Certification testing has grown this year, as sponsors recognize the value of direct marketing to a dedicated audience of industry professionals. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, go to www.horttrades.com/landscape-industry-certified-sponsorship.
Expo 2012
Expo is just around the corner. We are excited to bring you two inspiring and motivational breakfast events hosted by the Garden Centre Sector Group on Oct. 17 and by the Interior Plantscape Sector Group on Oct. 18.New this year is the Destination Inspiration Theatre, where the breakfast events will take place. This area will be transformed during the trade show into a learning theatre that will feature short demonstrations to provide inspiration, training and networking.
We are also excited this year to launch the revised Landscape Industry Certified Horticultural Technician test aimed at the Retail Garden Centre sector. Visit booth 648 to find out more about the 2012 test planned for November. To celebrate the growth of Landscape Industry Certification, we will also introduce a Plant Identification Challenge for attendees to hone, or prove their skills at this important area of horticulture. Students are most definitely welcome to participate. The exact location is to be determined, but watch for signage directing you to the booth.
In addition, right across from booth 648, we will present a new and improved Job Board/Classified wall for active members and associate members to post employment opportunities and resumes. These postings also will appear on LO’s website for 30 days, post-show, adding even more value to your membership at http://bit.ly/joboard.
As has been the case over the last few years, we will continue to host written tests for all Landscape Industry Certification designations at Expo. This year it is scheduled on Oct. 16, the night before Expo, at the Doubletree Toronto Airport Hotel. To see more about certification, go to www.horttrades.com/landscape-industry-certified.
Professional Development Guide
As we look forward to the end of a busy and successful year for the landscape horticulture industry, we evaluate the opportunities that lie ahead for our businesses and decide what training needs to happen to propel ahead to that next level. This is why we created the 2012-2013 Professional Development Guide.This book helps business owners plan ahead, and learn ways to advance their businesses by improving processes and company culture. This helps to make firms more productive and more profitable by participating in seminars provided by your association from the five pillars of the Prosperity Partners program:
- Customers for Life: Cultivating customer relationships and providing value is the lifeblood of all businesses.
- Financial Health: Successful organizations have processes in place to measure financial performance at a glance.
- Leadership: At the helm of all successful businesses are leaders who are able to inspire and encourage people around them to achieve a clear and defined vision.
- Operational Excellence: Gain the skill and knowledge to make your business succeed.
- Sales Success: Successful businesses have refined prospecting, lead-generation and sales processes in place.
For business owners interested in identifying and understanding gaps, and who want to identify areas for development and expansion, register for the one-day Building Your Prosperity seminar on Nov. 14. This will guide you through assessing your business by using the five pillars framework of the Prosperity program. Register at www.horttrades.com/seminars/2012-11-14/PP00.
Some of our members have even found benefit from taking the course again as their businesses change. Mike Hayes, AllGreen Tree Service, says, “This seminar helps identify your blind spots and makes sense of what’s going well, and not so well, with way more clarity.”
Once again, this year’s content is directed by our members through participant and member feedback opportunities and our Professional Development working committee, chaired by Richard Rogers.
Some of the new topics that you can expect this year include: Building a business from the ground up, understanding customers, recruiting and retaining skilled workers, the effective supervisor, introduction to social media, sports field irrigation, rainwater harvesting and conservation, intermediate flagstone, concrete: the next level, advanced green roof maintenance, improving your landscape plans, advanced Google Sketchup, essentials of grounds maintenance estimating and apprenticeship and certification training and exam preparation.
We are very pleased to introduce a new online learning section this year to improve access for those under time and geographical challenges.
The 2012-2013 Professional Development Guide will be available at Expo 2012. It was mailed with this issue of Landscape Ontario magazine. If you need extra copies, please contact kathymclean@landscapeontario.com, or download an electronic copy at www.horttrades.com/seminars.
Contact Sally Harvey at sharvey@landscapeontario.com