Good people, the correct equipment and effective training are the keys to a happy and successful career at any organization. Our core values here at Kramer Tree Specialists encapsulate these three keys and more. Our core values are safe and professional work practices, excellent work environment, exceptional client service and to be innovative. These values carry over into all aspects of our business and have helped us design a successful internal training program for our field arborists that involves scheduled training, field application, coaching and opportunities for professional development.
To provide a road map for professional development and training, each of our field production departments have developed what we call professional work assessments. These assessments are a list of skills for each position level within the respective department that staff are trained on and assessed based on performance and execution. As you advance through these levels you will learn new skills and equipment, which continually develops your skills in becoming a successful and professional arborist.
The training program that we provide to achieve these skills consists of field training with staff as well as regularly scheduled quarterly training sessions. Our seasonal departments, plant health care and mulch, both conduct an annual preseason training program. Prior to each year, our Training & Performance Manager, Production Manager and Director of Operations meet to assess the prior year quarterly training topics and develop the coming year’s topics. Each quarter all staff who will work in our tree production department are broken into small groups and meet in a classroom setting to train on these pre-determined topics. Examples of topics include stump grinder operation, aerial rescue and emergency response, electrical hazards awareness program, rigging and much more. In addition to the classroom training, the small groups will spend the other half of the day doing hands on training on the specific topic. Conducting this training in a non-job site setting, allows for collaboration, learning and interaction of staff resulting in productive discussions.
We also support and provide our staff with outside training through workshops with the Illinois Arborist Association and Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). ISA credentials offered through the IAA include certified arborist, climber specialist, aerial lift specialist and more. TCIA offers our eligible staff the opportunity of Certified Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP), but also the TCIA tree care academy series for all staff as applicable. There are multiple levels in the academy series in which staff do self-guided study and are provided a compensatory bonus upon completion of each category. All staff with credentials that require continuing education units will be eligible to attend workshops, seminars and applicable conferences to maintain their credentials.
Much of the work that we do requires specialized equipment and training. Specifically, our climbing arborist positions, the equipment necessary to conduct our work safely and professionally can be costly. In addition to all required PPE, we provide our climbers all basic climbing equipment including Kask climbers hard hats, climbing rope with a spliced eye, work positioning lanyard, TreeMotion harness, climbing bag, plus all connecting links for both moving rope and stationary rope climbing techniques. If an employee has a particular preference on a piece of equipment, they can simply provide it and have it approved by our Training & Performance Manager prior to using it in the field.
Each department and each position throughout our company will have a variance on equipment needs and training. Through our quarterly training program and position assessments, it is our goal to meet those needs and provide our staff the best opportunity to succeed and develop professionally as an arborist. Professionalism and safe work practices are the key to the growth of our industry and profession. It is our goal is to provide our staff that opportunity and help them grow their careers in arboriculture.
To learn more about our training program, professional development and careers at Kramer Tree Specialists, contact us with the form below or contact our office and setup a time for a tour and orientation. We would be excited to meet with you and display our approach to practicing safe and professional arboriculture!
