Under the Registration Scheme for Tree Management Personnel (“Scheme”), registered tree management personnel who wish to apply for renewal of registration will have to meet the renewal requirements. One of the renewal requirements is compliance of the requirements on continuing education in arboriculture (“CEA”). This Guideline sets out the application of CEA hours.
CEA hours can be obtained through the completion of recognised CEA courses (“essential CEA hours”) and other course or seminar relevant to the work of the registered personnel type which can enhance their knowledge, skills and techniques necessary for providing quality arboriculture services (“optional CEA hours”).
The principles for application of CEA hours for registered tree management personnel under the prevailing renewal requirements of the Scheme are as below -
For all CEA courses, albeit recognised or optional, one contact hour of the course or seminar carries one CEA hour.
For calculation of CEA hours, course or seminar with a duration of less than 0.5 hour will not be accepted. Time over 0.5 hour but less than one hour should be rounded down to 0.5 hour.
Identical courses can only be counted once for each registered personnel type during the current registration period.
If the recognised CEA course is targeted for more than one registered personnel types, a person who are these registered personnel types will obtain essential CEA hours under those registered personnel types at the same time upon completion of the course, and the same course will also be counted as optional CEA hours for other non-targeted personnel type(s).
For a person who registered more than one personnel types, the optional CEA hour earned by a registered personnel for one personnel type will automatically be applied to all other registered personnel types.
Optional CEA hours include the following categories of course or seminar –
Student or trainer of full-time or part-time course related to arboriculture offered by vocational, tertiary and training institutions in Hong Kong or overseas. Proof of attendance, copy of the transcript or proof of engagement is required. One course is capped at a maximum of 9 CEA hours.
Seminar, company in-house training, webinar / E-learning, training and first aid course. Proof of attendance is required. First aid course is capped at a maximum of 3 CEA hours.
Attending a recognised CEA course which is not targeted for his or her registered personnel type(s), he or she will earn optional CEA hours upon completion of the course for his or her registered personnel type(s). Copy of the Certification of Completion has to be provided.
A registered tree management personnel who is a trainer of eligible CEA courses can earn one CEA hour for each contact hour of training. Copy of the programme and proof of engagement have to be provided. Time over 0.5 hour but less than one hour should be rounded down to 0.5 hour.
Self-learning such as reading of book, participation in competition and meeting of the arboriculture field should not be accepted as CEA hours as they have no formal educational/learning objectives.
Registered tree management personnel should be responsible for and monitor his or her progress in acquiring CEA hours during the current registration period to meet the CEA requirements for renewal of registration. He or she should record the CEA hours obtained in the immediate past three years before expiry of the current registration in the Record Form of Continuing Education in Arboriculture Courses for each type of his or her registered tree management personnel. He or she should submit the duly completed Application Form for Renewal of Registration, completed Record Form of CEA Courses together with the supporting documents when applying for renewal of registration.