LNA'S CERTIFIED LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS PROGRAM
12 June 2013
The LNA Certified Landscape Professionals program recognises the professionalism and expertise of landscape businesses and encourages the public to seek out Certified Landscape Professionals.
The LNA offers membership services and recognition to those companies who continually update their skills in the Landscaping Industry. In today’s competitive marketplace, superior customer service, up-to-date product knowledge and professionalism is crucial to attracting customers and retaining their loyalty. The LNA Certified Landscape Professionals program recognises the professionalism and expertise of landscape businesses and encourages the public to seek out Certified Landscape Professionals. It also emphasises the need for on-going skills development.
Purpose and Aim
The CLP program aims to:
• Acknowledge members’ commitment to improving their skills and abilities in order to both enrich their personal experience of work and to meet the needs of their customers
• Encourage a highly skilled industry
• Provide members with networking opportunities and access to professional development activities.
• Provide high level of professional practice in Structural Landscaping
• Facilitate ethical and technically competent landscape practice.
• Maintain and improve technical and business competence in Structural Landscaping businesses
The continuing professional development requirements are aimed at maximising professional practice outcomes, by ensuring that industry participants are continually up-dating their skills, raising the quality of landscape construction standards, improving safety, and reducing disputes in the NSW & ACT landscaping industry. In particular, the requirements aim at the long term upgrading of the professionalism and performance of Landscape Contractors by:
• Improving knowledge, skills and practice across industry in identified areas of marketplace concern; and
• Maintaining or improving levels of competence, customer service and business management skills in the industry as a whole.
The LNA developed the Certified Landscape Professional program for the following reasons:
• There is rapid technological change in the type of materials, machinery and installation techniques that require industry to maintain currency with regard to these changes.
• Having established that the development of an industry pathway is critical for retention of staff in the industry, this includes trade and post trade level training and articulated career paths.
• A skills shortage of employees with a high level of technical landscape construction, business management and supervisory skills.
• There is an ageing workforce creating an increasing need for attracting and retaining new entrants and providing for advanced training in trade and post trade areas for new and current people in the Landscape Construction Industry.
• The professional profile of Landscape Contractors needs to be promoted to the general public in order that the market fully understands the scope and complexity required within landscape works
• To aid small business growth and profitability
The program is managed by the LNA who can be contacted via email or by calling the LNA Team on (02) 9630 4844.