Tree Care Training Courses
Currently, there are more than 2.5 million trees in the urban area of Hong Kong, with more than 1.6 million of them governed by the governmental departments (i.e. Highways Department, Drainage Services Department, and Housing Department etc.). Trees are human’s best friends but at the same time they can be a headache if they are not properly taken care of, especially with the escalating number of typhoons affecting the city. People are concerned by unsafe trees which may pose a threat to their safety.
In light of the need to safeguard public safety, it is essential to acquire a large number of arborists and workers to ensure quality tree management. Nevertheless, this booming industry is suffering from a shortage of manpower (including skilled workers engaged in front line tree management) and a lack of unified competency standards, not to mention that the professional recognition system is far behind other countries.
Besides, with regard to the financial budget published in 2019 by the Hong Kong Government, it is proposed to set up a $200 million Urban Forestry Support Fund to encourage more youngsters to join this industry, while providing training and establishing a professional competency system.