ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Too Many Chiefs and not enough Indians)

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Dear Station Members,

The sent-in news a little while ago described how a construction class to train Steel Workers of 20 no. became deserted to just 5 no. within one & half months of commencement. It was worrying that when mega projects would come up in future that HK may lack skilled workers to conduct site work.

ISA HK/China has similar sentiment towards this report as our own Tree Care Industry is developing in a similar pattern with a great lack of Certified Tree Workers (CTW) to conduct Field Work, but an abundance of Certified Arborists to engage office work. In the recent ISA Exams, there were close to 200 candidates sitting for the Certified Arborist (CA) exam, but only around 10 chose to take up the CTW exam. As the CA exam is mainly testing for knowledge rather than Field Work, most of the CA in HK are now working for office functions with the majority of them not engaging Tree Work like Tree Climbing & Chainsaw Operation. As far as ISA HK/China are aware, maybe less than 5% of our CA are seen to take on regular Field Work & many are unable to climb to assess trees or to carry out Structural Pruning to international requirements on site.

Say if we have all our Arborists swarming to take on office work to command & plan, but to ignore Field Work which is dirty, strenuous & risky, then who are going to prune, fell or transplant our mature trees on site? Do we then leave it to the subcontractors of the subcontractors with untrained & unskilled labour but paid low to carry out work at their laymen desire, with our Office Arborists showing photos & reports to cover the aftermath? Would the quality of Tree Work in HK then advance to international level for our Tree Management Office, or would it just be another repeat of our past failures?

ISA HK/China has installed the Independent Practicing Arborist (IPA, http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2008/08/isa-hkchina-independent-practicing.html ) credential to upgrade the Arborist Profession in our territory to become one which can handle knwoledge & Field Operation at the same time. The Arborist Profession is a Practitioner Trade with the Practicing Arborists expected to solve problems on site more than studying photos & reports in office. If our Arborists are downgraded to office level only & not able to handle work on site, the Arborist Profession in our territory will soon depart from international development, & we shall continue to rely on overseas Arborists to consult for us for genuine Tree Work.

ISA HK/China is planning to bring in the New Zealand National Certificate in Arboriculture to train up Field Arborists in our territory. The Station Manager will take part in the first round of training to ensure it will have a good start. We shall limit the capacity to around 20 no. only to ensure quality & adequate attendance on the students. This will be a rare opportunity for our local candidates to learn Tree Work under quality supervision & to prepare our future Arborists to work on site.

Let this message wake up our local employers at the same time to know how to select their Arborists for Tree Work in future. Would they now prefer to take up only those who can not work in the Field?

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager

"If a tree is not designed, installed, maintained & inspected properly, it is likely to become a liability rather than an asset."

"Trees are good for the community. Trees need care like human beings. Arborists are the Tree Care Professionals."

青年紮鐵班個半月走剩5人 十大基建恐缺工人 擬轉培訓新移民邊青

(x報)2009年11月x日 星期 x

【x報專訊】隨著十大基建上馬，建造業議會訓練學院（前建造業訓練局）推出針對青少年的「建造業青年就業計劃」（建青計劃），欲為多個出現人手老化的工種培養新血，應付工程需要。然而首班紮鐵班今年9月開班時雖然收了近20人，但最終只有8人上課，個半月後更走剩5人。建造業議會總監（培訓）黃敦義表示失望，但當局正有多項針對新移民、邊緣青年及少數族裔的計劃，希望可為業界培訓新血。

逾5萬建造工人超過50歲

香港建造商會及工會早前指出，現時約10萬名建造業工人中，逾半皆超過50歲以上，若十大基建工程在未來數年動工，擔心會出現青黃不接，故除傳統基本工藝課程外，建訓學院特別針對紮鐵、模板、泥水工程及油漆粉飾這數個青黃不接較嚴重的行業，與勞工處合辦建青計劃，以「先受聘、後培訓」方式培訓18至24歲青年，他們會先接受約一年培訓，在職培訓期間，每月薪金不少於1萬元（見表），而日後成為經驗紮鐵工，更可能有逾千元日薪。

總監稱失望 工會料因紮鐵辛苦

首班紮鐵班在9月初開班時原有近20人報讀，然而至開課時只有8人現身，開班未夠2個月，現只剩下5人堅持下去。黃敦義表示，難免有點失望，他相信與紮鐵工作較辛苦有關，青年人一時間難以適應，加上他們及其父母本身亦對建造業前景不認識，故較易放棄。他強調，隨著當局開展更多工程，建造業工人會十分搶手。建訓學院發言人表示，退出的學員中，其中兩人已另覓工作轉行，一人僅接受訓練數天表示不適合自己離開。

香港建造業總工會理事長周聯橋及建造業議會員工總會理事長陳鋕漒亦表示，紮鐵是各地盤工種中最辛苦一種，工人不單要日曬雨淋，工作時往往要抬起以百磅計的鋼筋，不是人人捱得到。本身是建造業訓練委員會委員的周聯橋表示，上述課程在開班初期上理論課時問題不大，但其後開始實習時，學員相繼退學。陳鋕漒表示，導師會盡量與學員及家長分析前景，希望他們可回心轉意，他強調「學成後根本不愁出路，紮鐵工人日薪更可以有近千元」。

將開油漆班 先聘用後受訓

首班學員流失率高，但黃敦義稱，紮鐵只是第一班，學院11月會在建青計劃下開辦油漆班，因這計劃是需要獲僱主聘用下先接受訓練，由於業界急需人手，故不擔心報讀情况不理想。建青計劃只是學院其中一個培訓新血計劃，學院本學年的全日制基本工藝課程便會提供2000個名額，為業內人士或轉業人士而設的兼讀課程名額亦達6萬個。

黃敦義表示，除本港青少年外，學院亦正研究多項計劃，如在天水圍的訓練中心投入運作後，亦會針對當區的新移民及少數族裔，希望吸納他們加入建造業，當局估計有逾1萬人。另學院亦正與正生書院及多間非政府機構聯絡，由他們轉介邊緣青年到學院，接受正統的建造業培訓。

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