How do you train to provide Integrated Urban Pest Management services?

The science and technology surrounding our field is changing constantly. Even during the pandemic, researchers have gone on developing and validating new strategies, tools and products, which means we must keep our knowledge up to date in order to adapt to the demands of the market, always seeking a technical approach as our competitive advantage.

Over the past 19 months the pandemic has replaced the offer of in-person courses, training sessions and workshops with an online study model, with far more options available — though not all of them with worthwhile content. On some occasions the sheer oversupply has produced technical and scientific discussions with speakers who have little experience of the subject at hand, as well as

shortcomings in teaching and communication. According to the Royal Spanish Academy, training is a short-term learning process that involves acquiring knowledge; the sharpening of skills, concepts and rules, or the change of attitudes and behaviours in order to improve employee performance. In that context there should be a directly

proportional relationship between the time and money invested in training and the effective, efficient delivery of the services we provide, through a positive change in the knowledge, attitudes and practices bound up with our work.

Why is continuous training necessary?

Training and human resource development in organisations start from the assumption that most employees can naturally be motivated to work and to learn. Having stimulating work, progressing in their profession or field, and receiving rewards for their performance are all factors that mobilise and draw their attention and energy (Price Waterhouse, 1987).

Five reasons to invest in training

1. Greater efficiency from your staff

Training will give your employees more confidence in themselves and in what they do, and that will be reflected in their results.

2. Less supervision

Every employee needs supervision. If the technician or operative has the necessary training, they will need less of it, since they will make fewer operational mistakes. The supervisor's workload will be lighter as a result.

3. Greater commitment to the company

Training will not only teach your employee to carry out their duties well; it will also equip them to work as part of a group, improving their confidence in and commitment to their team.

4. Fewer losses

If your staff member knows how to carry out their duties properly, they will be more efficient and will save resources. There will be less waste and unnecessary wear on equipment will be avoided.

5. Lower staff turnover

Training will improve an employee's prospects of growing within your company, which will translate into greater motivation and efficiency as they feel you are investing in their education and development. Many employees arrive with a significant level of the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to start work. Others may require extensive training before they can contribute to the organisation. Most, however, need some form of continuous training in order to maintain effective performance or to adjust to new ways of working (Sherman, Bohlander and Snell, 1999). Companies working in IUPM adopt training programmes for the following reasons:

• To meet the legal requirements for their sector.
• A need to improve job skills or to grow within the organisation.
• To stay competitive and profitable in such a competitive industry.
• To meet their clients' requirements.

But do you know how someone who wants to work professionally in IUPM is trained? In some Latin American countries there is no specific regulation governing compulsory training for

the IUPM professional. That reality is a problem for those providing the service and for everyone else involved, since it lays bare the empiricism with which a service so closely bound up with human health is delivered. There are large international corporations providing IUPM services that have their own training centres where they prepare their staff. That training gives employees the knowledge they need to carry out their work efficiently, effectively and safely, both for themselves and for the people involved. If you are an entrepreneur starting out in this sector, however, you will have to draw on the experience you build up over your years of service in order to specialise. The absence of rules standardising the training requirements for someone offering this kind of service is a real challenge for anyone hoping to work professionally in IUPM. If you want to stand out or to specialise in a particular pest or service, you will have to seek out literature, certifications and training on your own. But how, you may ask, can you decide what to study among all the training options that exist? It is true that being able to connect to platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet or similar tools from any device promises an advantage over in-person training. As an IUPM expert, you will need to weigh other factors that guarantee preparation you can actually apply in delivering your services. But does training guarantee learning? Will I be able to absorb all the content at the speed the presenter sets? Will I have time to log in? Will I be able to stay focused through all the sessions these programmes include? These are several factors to take into account before venturing to fill in an enrolment form, especially if the decision involves spending money. Price is clearly a decisive factor when

choosing a course. There are other elements, however — the quality of the training body, its teaching capacity, the quality of the programme and the prestige the resulting certificate confers — that will make the difference in the quality of the training you choose.

WHICH ORGANISATIONS PROVIDE SUITABLE

TRAINING?

There are internationally prestigious institutions such as Purdue University, which offers specialist courses by correspondence and online. They include, for example, Introduction to Integrated Pest Management, Integrated Pest Management in Food Plants, and Integrated Management of Termites and Other Wood-Destroying Pests, among others. These courses are very thorough, but they are taught in English, which limits access for a large proportion of people who do not speak the language. Their cost is also very high and they require you to finish within a set period. At the end of the course you must sit the exam with an authorised proctor. Purdue University certification is very well recognised internationally, however, so if you have the chance to certify with them, we encourage you

to do so. ANCPUAC, meanwhile, is a non-profit association that over 37 years has established itself as one of the most important civil bodies in the field in Latin America, focusing on professionalising the trade through technical and business training programmes. Its website offers the free course “Dignifying the Urban Pest Control Professional”. This course lasts 1 hour, divided into 4 lectures given in Spanish, and ends with an assessment and self-diagnosis; a certificate is included. CEDESAM, for its part, is a centre registered with the Community of Madrid to deliver training specialisms within vocational training for the IUPM sector. This centre offers several online courses on different subjects, taught in Spanish. Higieneambiental.com is a well-known Spanish portal that runs distance and in-person training courses on every topic connected with IUPM and environmental sanitation.

INTERNATIONAL

CONGRESSES:

Another way to train and to get to know the most modern tools in use today, with international success stories, are the congresses held each year in different countries. Here are the most important ones and our assessment of each.

• From 2 to 5 November 2021, “Pest World 2021” will take place, organised by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and held

in different states of the USA. This year it will be in Las Vegas. While it is true that a high proportion of its content is advertising and commercial in nature, this event hosts countless papers given by well-known professionals of many nationalities. Pest World is notable for the high level of attendance by participants from different countries. If you can absorb the cost of travel, accommodation and

meals for this event, we recommend it one hundred

per cent. Besides offering simultaneous interpretation for the papers, the experience will help you build relationships with colleagues and suppliers of different nationalities with whom you can develop synergies. On 29 and 30 September, PERÚPLAGAS will be held — the international technical, scientific and commercial event on IUPM in Peru. Its aim is to strengthen capacities and competencies, share modern strategies of proven effectiveness, present innovative, cutting-edge products and share successful experiences developed elsewhere. This event has been gaining strength in Latin America across its five editions and has established itself as the most solid in the region. Its programmes are run by well-known professionals in the sector, and language will not be a barrier since it is delivered in Spanish. Beyond language, though, what we would highlight about this event is the chance to spend time with colleagues of different nationalities with whom you can build commercial and professional relationships while enjoying world-renowned Peruvian cuisine.

• From 12 to 15 October, the XXXVII International Congress of Urban Pest Controllers organised by ANCPUAC will take place in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico. At this edition you will discover new tools, both in technical knowledge and in business training, from professional speakers who are widely recognised for their knowledge, experience and long careers. We recommend attending this event, where you can broaden your knowledge of IUPM while enjoying Mazatlán, known as “the Pearl of the Pacific”, a tourist town that combines history and beaches and where you can enjoy its famous culinary tradition, full of seafood and irresistible desserts from which it will be hard to choose.

Just imagining it makes us want to come along!

WHAT ABOUT

ONLINE

SEMINARS

AND THE SESSIONS RUN BY

SOME

LOCAL

SUPPLIERS?

Restrictions on movement have prompted a reaction from the industry, which has thrown itself into creating genuinely valuable content for its customers. There are internationally significant companies such as Chemotécnica Argentina, which organises Integrated Technical Sessions each year, delivered by well-known professionals with broad experience in our sector. These Technical Sessions have now run for 18 editions and attract large numbers of participants. This year, because of the pandemic, they were held online. Participation was free and at the end you could download your certificate of attendance. The programme was divided over 2 days with a range of papers in which highly regarded speakers in our sector shared their knowledge on different IUPM topics. Without doubt, highly recommended training. We would advise you to take advantage of every free seminar, conference and session available to you. To make sure the content adds value, find out before signing up which companies sponsor and organise the training. You can also look into the CV of the speaker running it before enrolling. Your suppliers will be your best mentors because they know the IUPM sector better than anyone. Their staff also have great experience, which guarantees you will receive training that gives you the pointers to offer more competitive services. According to Dominique Stumpf, chief executive of NPMA, “The sheer amount of exchange and education to advance the cause of protecting public health, food and property is positive proof that when we all work together in the global community to share our knowledge, innovation and technology, everyone benefits and moves forward in the process of protecting the public from pests and the diseases they transmit.”

SO WHAT IS THE CONCLUSION?

We know our sector still has a long way to go. We can assure you that every piece of training you invest in will give you the tools you need to set yourself apart from your competitors and to specialise, and so to offer more efficient services. So now you know: a continuous training programme will add great value to your company. You will have more motivated employees who do their work efficiently and who, together with their colleagues, will help you reach the objectives you set for your business. As you can see, training offers many advantages: knowledge, competitiveness, synergies, cultural exchange… In short, unprecedented professional and personal growth. What will your next step be? In the end, the decision is yours.