Tree work words: credentials and training
Certification, qualification, apprenticeship, competent person and card-scheme words as ISA, TCIA, SkilledTradesBC, CSCS, the UK HSE, SafeWork NSW and WorkSafe New Zealand use them.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. Arborist credentials are described with words that overlap in everyday talk but are kept apart in the sources. This page gives each word as the named body defines it, with the country shown, and does not say which credential a person needs or holds.
Every meaning is written in our own words from the page named in its row. A word that none of those pages defines is not listed. The wider A to Z list is the tree work glossary.
Words and meanings
| Term | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Certification (ISA) | ISA describes a voluntary program run by a non-governmental body that lets a person use a credential for a set period. It says the program covers a broad body of knowledge, stands apart from any training program, and has renewal terms. | ISA page on types of credentials |
| Qualification (ISA) | ISA says a qualification covers a narrower body of knowledge with set learning goals, often a classroom course followed by a test. It has no renewal cycle built in, so it either lasts for life or must be taken again after a set period. | ISA page on types of credentials |
| ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) | A voluntary qualification program from ISA in tree risk assessment. ISA says it is a two-day course followed by a half-day of written and practical assessments. | ISA page on the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification |
| Eligibility path | The routes ISA lists for entering the TRAQ program. Holders of several ISA certifications qualify directly. Other routes include a relevant degree, a national certificate in arboriculture, or a state or province licence or certification that ISA has approved. | ISA page on the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification |
| Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP) | TCIA's individual safety credential. The TCIA page lists three ways to be eligible, based on tree care experience, safety experience in another industry, or a related degree with an internship. | TCIA page on the CTSP program |
| Apprentice term (Nova Scotia) | In the province's Arborist Trade Regulations, the term of an apprenticeship is made up of documented hours of practical experience and technical training, together with a certification examination. | Nova Scotia Arborist Trade Regulations |
| Certificate of qualification | The BC trades body uses this name for the credential at the end of the Climbing Arborist trade. Its page says both the apprenticeship route and the challenge route need a practical assessment as well as a written exam. | BC trades body page on Climbing Arborist |
| Work-based training and technical training (British Columbia) | The BC trades body's Climbing Arborist page lists 1800 hours of work-based training and technical training of 8 weeks over 1 year. Work-based training happens on the job and technical training is classroom learning. | BC trades body page on Climbing Arborist |
| Arborist trade (Nova Scotia) | The province's regulations define it as the work of an arborist, using arboriculture knowledge and skills for work on trees with ropes, climbing systems, pruning tools, diagnostic tools and mechanized equipment. | Nova Scotia Arborist Trade Regulations |
| Competent person | SafeWork NSW defines it as a person who has gained the knowledge and skills for a task through training, qualification or experience. WorkSafe New Zealand's forestry glossary gives a similar meaning, based on skill and knowledge shown consistently. | SafeWork NSW tree work code, glossary; WorkSafe NZ forestry glossary, appendix 1 |
| Trained person (NSW) | In SafeWork NSW's code, a person who has completed an approved course on working near overhead electric lines run by a registered training organisation. | SafeWork NSW tree work code, glossary |
| Ordinary person (NSW) | In SafeWork NSW's code, a person without enough training or experience to avoid the dangers that overhead electric lines and related equipment can create. | SafeWork NSW tree work code, glossary |
| Qualified arborist (New Zealand) | WorkSafe New Zealand's arboriculture code defines it as a person holding a recognised degree, diploma or certificate in arboricultural operations, who knows the equipment and hazards and has shown the ability to do the tasks. | WorkSafe NZ arboriculture code, definitions |
| Trainee arborist (New Zealand) | An employee or student who does the work but is not yet competent, and is supervised by a competent person, in WorkSafe New Zealand's arboriculture code. | WorkSafe NZ arboriculture code, definitions |
| Close supervision | Direct and constant one-on-one supervision, in WorkSafe New Zealand's forestry glossary. | WorkSafe NZ forestry glossary, appendix 1 |
| Industry qualifications (New Zealand) | Skill or unit standards registered with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, where assessment has been carried out and competence confirmed, in WorkSafe New Zealand's forestry glossary. | WorkSafe NZ forestry glossary, appendix 1 |
| Tertiary Education Organisation (TEO) | WorkSafe New Zealand's arboriculture code lists a polytechnic, a private trainer, an industry training organisation or a teaching organisation able to deliver standards and assessments aligned with NZQA. | WorkSafe NZ arboriculture code, definitions |
| CSCS card | A UK construction skills card. The scheme's own page says a card is proof that a worker has training and qualifications for their job, that holding one is not a legal requirement, and that the principal contractor or client decides whether to ask for one. | CSCS page, About CSCS |
| Induction and refresher training | The UK HSE page lists induction training when work begins, and refresher training for some high-risk activities such as operating chainsaws. It also says employers provide this during working hours and employees do not pay for it. | UK HSE page on training and certification |
| Awarding body (UK) | The HSE training page points readers to two awarding bodies for tree work, City and Guilds NPTC and Lantra Awards. | UK HSE page on training and certification |
Reading these sources
ISA draws a line between certification and qualification, and that line is ISA's own. Government and apprenticeship pages use other meanings, so a word such as certificate can name a different thing in Nova Scotia than in the ISA pages. The country-by-country picture is on arborist certifications by country, ISA programs are on ISA credentials, and the UK card scheme is on the UK CSCS card.
The Canadian apprenticeship pages are covered on arborist trades in Canada, the TCIA safety program on TCIA programs, and chainsaw training on chainsaw tickets by country.
Fees, exam dates and renewal terms change, so they are not listed here. The named pages hold the current ones. Words about law and permits are on tree work words: law and permits.
Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and the Forestry Commission and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains material from the SafeWork NSW Tree work code of practice, which SafeWork NSW publishes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Contains material from WorkSafe New Zealand publications. The wording above is ours.
Sources
- International Society of Arboriculture, Types of Credentials, read October 8, 2026
- International Society of Arboriculture, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, read October 8, 2026
- Tree Care Industry Association, Become a Certified Treecare Safety Professional, read October 8, 2026
- Province of Nova Scotia, Arborist Trade Regulations under the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act, unofficial consolidation, read October 8, 2026
- SkilledTradesBC, Climbing Arborist, read October 8, 2026
- SafeWork NSW, Tree work code of practice, appendix A glossary, read October 8, 2026
- WorkSafe New Zealand, Safe practice for forestry and harvesting operations, appendix 1 glossary, read October 8, 2026
- WorkSafe New Zealand, Safety and Health in Arboriculture approved code, definitions, read October 8, 2026
- CSCS, About CSCS, read October 8, 2026
- UK HSE, Training and certification in tree work, read October 8, 2026