As of Jan. 1, the Professional Landcare Network’s (PLANET’s) certification program changed from an annual certification renewal process to a two-year recertification cycle. Continuing education and industry service are still critical to maintaining the active status of PLANET certification; however, these activities will be measured in Continuing Education Units (CEUs) instead of points. Certified individuals will be required to report and submit 30 CEUs earned during the two-year cycle to maintain the active status of their certification. A form to track CEUs during the recertification cycle will be available on PLANET's Web site in the coming months.
Recertification is a major component of a strong certification program and is considered a best practice across the certification industry. The recertification process is being introduced into the PLANET certification program as a result of the 2007 Certification Strategic Plan, indicating that PLANET’s certification program should meet or exceed the certification industry’s best practices as defined by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) Standards. The NCCA Standards state that certification programs must include some form of recertification provisions. Certified individuals will be able to submit CEUs in four educational and three service areas.
PLANET’s certification program is international in scope and offers six specialized designations — Certified Landscape Professional (CLP), Certified Landscape Technician-Exterior (CLT-E), Certified Landscape Technician-Interior (CLT-I), Certified Ornamental Landscape Professional (COLP), Certified Turfgrass Professional (CTP) and Certified Turfgrass Professional-Cool Season Lawns (CTP-CSL). Certified individuals have demonstrated their knowledge of the landscape and lawn care profession and validated their ability to meet the industry standard.
If you hold a PLANET certification designation and have not received information about the change to the two-year recertification cycle, call the Certification Department at 800/395-2522.