Penn State Extension is offering a series of six online courses for entry-level or seasonal landscape employees.
Five courses are available now and one will be available in April.
The “Employee Landscape Training” series includes classes on pruning, establishing lawns, soils, reading landscape plans, signs of plant health problems, and planting, mulching, and watering.
“Workforce training videos and knowledge-check questions show beginning workers how to accomplish basic landscaping tasks and supply them with the knowledge to do their jobs,” Ruth Benner, the extension educator who is coordinating the series, said. “Each of the six online courses has a quiz at the end, and participants will need to achieve a passing score to receive a certificate of completion.”
Penn State Extension consulted with Dan Eichenlaub over the series. Eichenlaub is the former president of the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association (PLNA) and is the owner-operator of Eichenlaub Inc., a Pittsburgh landscape company.
Eichenlaub and PLNA also are developing a second online training course that will build on the first series.
Interested landscape industry members should register online at Penn State Extension’s website. PLNA members who arrange for their employees’ training will receive a 25 percent discount.
Contact Ruth Benner at Penn State Extension for more information.