Eligibility

Eligibility - Employers and Trainees

Eligibility Requirements for Employer

For an employer to take up Arborist Trainees, Tree Risk Assessor Trainees or Tree Work Supervisor Trainees, he/she must meet the following requirements:

(a) As a consultant or a contractor undertaking active tree inspection and/or tree work related contract(s) for the Government or the private sector with duration not less than one year; OR as a tree management party (e.g. government department, utility company, property management company, large corporation such as theme park company, etc.) possessing/managing a substantial amount of tree asset; AND

(b) Directly employing at least one professionally qualified arborist who meets the requirement for the training tutor of Arborist Trainee, Tree Risk Assessor Trainee or Tree Work Supervisor Trainee as given in Section 5.6.2 of the Framework Document.

For an employer to take up Tree Climber Trainees or Tree Climber cum Chainsaw Operator Trainees, he/she must meet the following requirements:

(b) Directly employing at least one professionally qualified tree climber who meets the requirement for the training tutor of Tree Climber Trainee or Tree Climber cum Chainsaw Operator Trainee as given in Section 5.6.4 of the Framework Document.

Eligibility Requirements for Trainee

(a) a Hong Kong resident and have permit to work in Hong Kong[1]; AND

(b) a graduate of local arboriculture and tree management programmes at HKQF Level 4 to Level 5 (for being an Arborist Trainee), a graduate of local arboriculture, tree management, tree risk assessment programmes at HKQF Level 3 to Level 5 (for being a Tree Risk Assessor Trainee/Tree Work Supervisor Trainee), tree work and tree climbing programmes at HKQF Level 3 to Level 4 (for being a Tree Climber Trainee/Tree Climber cum Chainsaw Operator Trainee) or equivalent in an appropriate discipline; AND

(c) not possessing any recognised professional qualifications as follows (Refer to Section 5.2 of the Framework Document):

Job Categories		Not possessing the below recognised professional qualifications
(i)	Arborist Trainee/ Tree Risk Assessor Trainee/ Tree Work Supervisor Trainee	Not possessing any recognised arborist professional qualifications or tree risk assessor professional qualifications/training qualifications or tree work supervisor professional qualifications/training qualifications
(ii)	Tree Climber Trainee/ Tree Climber cum Chainsaw Operator Trainee	Not possessing any recognised tree climber professional qualification/training qualifications or chainsaw operator professional qualification/training qualifications

(d) Trainees who have participated in the job category (i) or have obtained recognised professional qualifications of job category (i) can still participate in job category (ii) under the training programme. Similarly, trainees who have participated in job category (ii) or have obtained recognised professional qualifications in job category (ii) can still participate in the job category (i) under the programme. However, trainees must still meet the requirements specified in 5.2.1(a) and (b).

[1] If a trainee is to work in a construction site, he/she must be at the age of 18 or above in accordance with Cap. 59I Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations.

Requirements for Training Tutor’s Qualifications

Training Tutor of Arborist Trainee / Tree Risk Assessor Trainee / Tree Work Supervisor Trainee

For the training tutor of an Arborist Trainee, Tree Risk Assessor Trainee or Tree Work Supervisor Trainee, he/she must be a registered arborist under the Registration Scheme for Tree Management Personnel managed by the Greening, Landscape and Tree Management Section (GLTMS) of the Development Bureau (DEVB) or practicing qualified arborist professional, who meets the following requirements:

Academic Qualifications

(a) Professional certificate/higher diploma or above qualifications in arboriculture, tree management, tree risk assessment, landscape management, up to or above the standards of Level 4 in the HKQF; or equivalent in an appropriate discipline; AND

Professional Qualifications

(b) (i) Certified Arborist, Certified Arborist Utility Specialist, Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist or Board Certified Master Arborist of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA); or

(ii) Technician Member, Professional Member or Fellow Member of the Arboricultural Association of the United Kingdom; or

(iii) European Tree Worker or European Tree Technician of the European Arboricultural Council; or

(iv) General Member of the National Arborists Association of Australia (issued on or before 31 Dec 2010); or

(v) Registered Qualified Arborist, Registered Practicing Arborist, Registered Consulting Arborist or Registered Consulting & Practicing Arborist of the Arboriculture Australia; or

(vi) Accredited Arborist of the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects; or equivalent; AND

Training Qualifications

(c) (i) Completed and passed Comprehensive Tree Risk Assessment and Management Training Course with assessment or Refresher Course with assessment organised by the Tree Management Office (TMO) of the GLTMS; or

(ii) Completed and passed training programmes in tree risk assessment recognised by the TMO, such as Tree Risk Assessment Qualification by the ISA, Professional Tree Inspection by Lantra Awards, Certificate of Training in Professional Tree Inspection and Risk Assessment by Li Ka Shing School of Professional and Continuing Education, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Tree Risk Assessment Course with Assessment by Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi), Certificate in Professional Tree Inspection by TCHK ; AND

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Training

(d) Received relevant training in occupational safety and health relating to tree work operation covering hazard identification, risk assessment and supervision; AND

Work Experience

(e) With at least 7 years of work experience in tree care and familiar with tree risk assessment and management.

Assistant Training Tutor of Arborist Trainee / Tree Risk Assessor Trainee / Tree Work Supervisor Trainee

For the assistant training tutor of an Arborist Trainee, he/she must be a registered Tree Risk Assessor or registered Tree Work Supervisor under the Registration Scheme for Tree Management Personnel managed by the GLTMS of the DEVB. For the assistant training tutor of a Tree Risk Assessor Trainee, he/she must be the relevant registered Tree Risk Assessor. For the assistant training tutor of a Tree Work Supervisor Trainee, he/she must be the relevant registered Tree Work Supervisor.

Training Tutor of Tree Climber Trainee / Tree Climber cum Chainsaw Operator Trainee

For the training tutor of a Tree Climber Trainee or Tree Climber cum Chainsaw Operator Trainee, he/she must be a registered tree climber under the Registration Scheme for Tree Management Personnel managed by the GLTMS of the DEVB or practicing qualified tree climber professional, who meets the following requirements:

Training Qualifications

(a) Received basic training in occupational safety and health relating to tree work operation; AND

(b) (i) Completed training or vocational assessment in tree work operations (including tree climbing (rope access), use of chainsaw and aerial rescue) by recognised institutions or industry organisations; or

(ii) be a “Certified Tree Worker Climber Specialist” of the ISA, those having taken Professional Diploma Programme in Arboriculture of the Chinese University of Hong Kong or equivalent or above; AND

Work Experience

Assistant Training Tutor of Tree Climber Trainee / Tree Climber cum Chainsaw Operator Trainee

For the assistant training tutor of a Tree Climber Trainee, he/she must be a registered Tree Climber under the Registration Scheme for Tree Management Personnel managed by the GLTMS of the DEVB. For the assistant training tutor of a Tree Climber cum Chainsaw Operator Trainee, he/she must be the relevant registered Tree Climber or registered Chainsaw Operator.

For details, please refer to the Framework Document.

Download framework document