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I suppose the obvious question is 'why do you ask the question?'
If you are gaining enough work as you are, then the only reason would be for your own gratification and many, many do that. I am wondering how far you would need to go before you got to the 'I didn't know that' stage.
'Letters' added to your name would impress some but not others. I think I would like to have a few letters after my name, but was just too busy bringing up a family and building a business, so in my case it would have been a ego thing.
Landscaping and horticulture is too big a subject area to cover entirely with a single qualification.
Like most vocational crafts, it's practical knowledge and experience that counts.
Colin Hunt said:
Personally I forgot more in the time I studied than I actually learned but then some of what I learned has proved most useful in my working life.
If you have industry related qualifications, be a pesticide certificate or first class honours in horticulture, absolutely let it be known.
Apologies for those that know this. But for those that don't - there are qualifications that you must have for pesticide application - experienced or not. If you are applying professional or non-professional use products as part of a service you do need a PA1 (Foundation module) and PA6 (Knapsack sprayer) qualification. This is also often needed to comply with your insurance too - although not all companies from our experience ask for this....
Also in November 2015 anyone operating under 'Grandfather Rights' will now also need to be formally qualified too.
If you want to find out more about whether you need a qualification to apply pesticides click here
If you need more info on training courses click here
My opinion above didn't cover legal obligations.
I also realise my answer implied that learning isn't a good thing. Having studied day release at two colleges for five years I know that education, of any kind, is a good thing.
Louise Boothman said:
Hi Harry -
It wasn't really aimed at Graham. It was more of a general comment for those who aren't aware that you any qualifications are needed even when using a non-professional product (as part of a service). You'd be amazed how many people think that non-professional products are not covered by any need for qualifications and those that don't realise they need a qualification for any form of herbicide control - so just really a general comment. Just thought it would help.
Cheers - Louise
Harry said:
Harry said:
We work in a very hands on industry and i much prefer experience over qualifications, except where there is a statutory need to be trained, qualified/licensed.
I believe the best solution is a mix of the two, with worked based learning, possibly leading to qualifications suiting our industry best. For me the best example of this is 'apprenticeships' etch
If you have experience, you should be able to position yourself in conversations with clients more effectively than those just out college. Once established, those quali's are just then decorations on the wall, in frames, showing your journey.
To simply sit in a classroom, revise to gain a certificate probably does little to benefit your business except for the vanity aspect. I know some people whose personality requires them to have these 'badges'. It is almost a sign of insecurity. You see this sometimes more in the garden design sector, although good designers shine thru and have got their hands dirty - total respect to them.
I have gone on in later life to study and gain qualifications for my own interest and to further my business, but mainly to fill in gaps in my knowledge or as an interest.
Here's a similar thread from some while back:
Jonathan Hall said:
Every chance Karl, that is I believe part of the problem. There are many registered members of the society who have no qualifications in design at all!!! And this is my point. You can't ignore education. Could you imagine another profession were you were allowed to become a full member of its professional body without a qualification in the subject matter? Its quite simply crazy. The SGD defends itself on this basis as wishing to be open and inclusive of all. But when members with degrees who took three years to get them and someone who has no qualification other than what they have picked up from TV or the internet, are treated the same then something is fundermentally wrong. No other profession I know allows this to happen.
Kirsty Blair said:
"I tend to disagree with your point about education, whilst I think its important that people have knowledge in their particular subject, there are other ways of learning. If you have learned on the job and been taught what you know by experienced people, you still have the knowledge and I don't think you should be excluded. I've met some people who know more than those who have been 'educated' but don't have the bit of paper to show. Is that not the whole point of the hoops you have jump through - only those who are committed to joining the organisation start the process."
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