The National Landscape Technical Council (NLTC) recently renamed itself the International Landscape Technician Council (ILTC) to reflect the international scope of the Certified Landscape Technician (CLT) Exterior program. Herb Buhr, Chairman, proposed the change to the Certification Board of Governors for the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) and received their approval. The test is administered in Canada, with successful candidates receiving a Canadian Certified Horticultural Technician (CCHT) designation.

     State associations are licensed to give the test by the ALCA, and each usually offers the test once or twice a year. At this time, 19 state associations and four regional divisions (British Columbia, Prairie, Ontario, and Atlantic) of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) offer the certification. The ILTC meets annually to review the test and make any needed changes to ensure those certified have the most up-to-date industry knowledge. The CLT/CCHT program includes three specialty areas – Irrigation, Maintenance, and Installation – and a common core of knowledge on which everyone is tested. The daylong certification examination involves both written tests and hands-on tests in the field.

     “Our Canadian counterparts make a significant contribution to the certification process. They have served in leadership roles for many years and this name change is just one way to acknowledge how much we value them,” says Buhr. Marcia Higgins, ALCA’s Professional Standards Manager, pointed out: “ALCA is in the process of expanding the CLP and the CLT-Interior tests to the Green Industry in Canada. This could not be done without the effort of the CNLA members who place such emphasis on the value of certification as a way to increase professionalism.”

     ALCA represents over 2,000 professional interior and exterior landscape contracting, maintenance, installation and design/build firms and suppliers nationwide. For more information on ALCA’s certification programs, please visit www.alca.org or contact Marcia Higgins at 800-395-ALCA.

     CNLA is comprised of eight provincial members: British Columbia (BCLNA), Alberta (LANTA), Saskatchewan (SNTA), Manitoba (LM), Ontario (LOHTA), New Brunswick (NBHTA), Nova Scotia (LNS) and Newfoundland/Labrador (LNL). For additional information on the programs offered by CNLA, visit www.canadanursery.com or call 1-888-446-3499.