MISSION & OVERVIEW

“Our mission is to serve the utility vegetation management industry by providing an elite professional development program, offering current and future industry leaders with opportunities for professional certification through higher education and advanced training.”

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Utility Vegetation Management Professional Development Program (UVM PDP) was initiated in 2014 by the Utility Vegetation Management Association (UVMA), an organization sponsored by the utility companies within Western Canada.

The vision for the program was to develop an industry driven training program at the college level for middle managers and leaders within utility vegetation management.  Successful completion of the program would lead to an industry recognized professional credential.

The UVMA partnered with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary, Alberta Canada between 2015 and 2019 to deliver the pilot courses.

The UVMA and the Utility Arborist Association (UAA) joined forces to enhance the vision of the program and as a result the Utility Vegetation Management Professional Development Program Board of Governors was formed to provide for the operations and the oversight for the overall program.

The joint UVM PDP Board of Governors have partnered with the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point College of Natural Resources, Forestry Education and Development Initiative to deliver the online training, launching April 2020.

Through the UVM PDP Board of Governors operations and oversight, the UAA will be the issuing and governing body for the newly developed Professional Credential.