As you may know, the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) Certification Committee has worked tirelessly to align industry certification programs with national standards and give them more credibility both within and outside of our industry. As a result of these efforts, I’m pleased to announce that all certified individuals will proudly call themselves Landscape Industry Certified, beginning January 2010!

CNLA and its provincial partners offer a wide variety of education programs ranging from the technical to motivational. Many of these education programs directly support the CNLA certification programs, but are also excellent stand-alone learning tools.

Beginning in January 2010, CNLA and the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) are aligning their certification programs under one brand – Landscape Industry Certified. Information on how these changes affect you can be found here.

The Landscape Industry Certified Technician program is designed for employees in the horticulture industry who are involved in the technical application of skill and knowledge.

The Landscape Industry Certified Designer program is designed for ‘true’ landscape designers, with a focus on residential design/build. This certification is earned through a two-part process, first a written evaluation followed by a portfolio review by industry professionals.

The Landscape Industry Certified Retail Horticulturist program is designed for employees in the horticulture industry who are involved in the technical application of skill and knowledge.

The Landscape Industry Certified Manager program is designed for owners and managers of horticulture companies. By focusing on core business skills required to run a successful operation. Candidates earn their designation by successfully completing a series of seven written evaluations.

Landscape Industry Executive Program is a professional business management program developed for our green industry, specifically for executives, managers, and owner-operators who want to reach a heightened level of excellence in their businesses.

CNLA understands that there may be some education and training opportunities that do not fall into one of the current categories. Learn how you might be able to include these as CEUs.

Re-certification is a major component of a strong certification program and is considered a best practice across the certification industry.