Hear from the ISA Gold Canopy Partners – Pacific Gas & Electric Company
Sep 16, 2024
Categories: September 2024
The ISA Canopy Partners program is a collaborative initiative that brings together industry leaders to support ISA's mission to promote the professional practice of arboriculture, inform the public about tree benefits, and provide a global network of arborists, urban foresters, and people who care for trees.
We met with the Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) team, an ISA Gold Canopy Partner, to discuss their views on the industry and how they see it changing in the coming years.
What industry trends has your organization noticed and is actively working towards?
We’ve noticed that everyone is working towards enhancing quality through a more trained and skilled workforce. More PG&E contracts are now requiring ISA certified arborists and TRAQ qualified personnel. To help our arborists maintain their ISA certifications, we have established more ISA test preparation and ongoing CEU training opportunities. While this seems like a trend, these qualification support tools will remain in place for the foreseeable future so that we can ensure our arborists continue to provide reliable service for our customers.
Overall, how do you see the industry growing in the next few years?
We expect to see the qualification requirements within the workforce continue to advance. This is something we have already started to implement and has proven valuable to both our customers and regulators. Additionally, we see a greater focus on workforce retention and job stability with increasing pay rates and benefits, along with other growth opportunities.
What does your organization want ISA's members and credential holders to know about your organization?
We want members and other credential holders to know that the utility industry is more than just about keeping trees away from powerlines. We serve a greater purpose in our communities by keeping our customers safe and their lights on. PG&E also plays an important role in ensuring the urban forest continues to thrive for generations to come. We take pride in what we do and are honored to be recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation for our 30-year commitment to Tree Line USA standards of excellence.
What is your organization planning to focus on in the coming years?
Our focus will always be about the safety of our customers and communities. We will continue to evolve and find new ways to keep trees from interfering with powerlines while leveraging industry standards, research, and guidelines. We will also investigate new tools and equipment to make the job safer and more efficient for our personnel while minimizing impacts on the environment.
What are some ways your organization is investing in the industry?
PG&E continues to invest in the next generation of arborists by looking for and creating opportunities to advance the industry. For example, we partnered with the University of California to create The Wood Decay Fungi Guide so arborists could reference an easy-to-use guide when addressing fungi that can cause tree failure.
In addition to being a proud Gold Canopy Partner for ISA, we also work with the California Community Colleges to help develop micro-curriculum programs and promote diversity within the workforce. This curriculum is the first of its kind, and since the program's inception in 2020, we have produced over 1,000 graduates. We're making efforts to engage with women when promoting these programs at high school career fairs. Overall, 16% of these graduates are women who specialize in line inspections, and 15% are women who specialize in line clearance arboriculture. Last year, 18% of our graduating class were women, which was a 13% increase from 2022. We believe that these programs have contributed to an increased representation of women in our workforce, and we will continue this effort for the foreseeable future.