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- To improve the skill and knowledge
of green industry employees;
- To have these improvements
and professional qualifications recognized in the eyes of the
public as well as within the landscape and nursery industry;
- To provide a means of self-improvement
and increased worth to the employee.
Although the Garden Center
program is geared to the garden center employee, the Grower program
to the grower employee and the Landscape program to the landscape
installer, that does not limit the participation of employees
from other segments of the industry.
HOW IT WORKS
The OCNT examinations will be given at various times and locations
throughout the state. The written exams are based on material
in the OCNT Garden Center, Grower and Landscape Training Manuals,
and practical application of that material. |
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 All the manuals (revised in 1999) contain
basic, as well as specific information, and were written by college
professors and specialists in the green industry. The manuals
also contain additional publications such as: "Landscape
Plants for Ohio," "Perennial Plants for Ohio,"
"American Standards for Nursery Stock," "Common
Insect Pests and Diseases of Ornamental Trees and Shrubs,"
and a copy of the Ohio Plant and Pest Law. The manuals can be
used as a text for group learning sessions within your company.
Individuals who successfully
complete any of the certification examinations will be entitled
to recognition as an OCNT with a specialization in Garden Center,
Grower or Landscape. This designation means status within the
nursery industry. It conveys to the public that you are the qualified,
experienced, professional they are seeking. When granted status
as an OCNT, you will be presented with a certificate and patches.
In addition, news releases from the ONLA will be sent to you
for submission in your local papers. Firms having certified employees
will be provided with promotional materials. Certification status
is granted to individuals only. The Ohio Certified Nursery Technician
(OCNT) designation may not be used to imply that a business or
firm is certified. |
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ADMINISTRATION
 The
OCNT program is sponsored by the Ohio Nursery & Landscape
Association, Inc. Responsibility for administering the program
rests on the Certification Committee, which consists of ONLA
members.
The examinations are prepared, conducted and corrected by, or
under the direction of, the Certification Committee.
The OCNT program is not in any way connected with any agency
of the government, but is solely and exclusively a voluntary
program sponsored by The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association,
Inc.
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