At first glance, Davey’s indoor climbing center at the SEED Campus looks like a towering structure of metal and angles. But the frames serve a clear purpose: to replicate the challenges of tree climbing in a controlled environment. And Skills Trainer Rick Denbeau can’t wait to fill the space with Davey employees as they learn and refine climbing skills.
“What we’re doing is very innovative and very learner-centric,” he says. “We’re invested in teaching employees how to work together in this unique environment. Davey’s making a substantial investment in the future.”
We built the climbing center in close collaboration with ENSA, an organization that provides work-at-height training and safety rigging services on metal structures. When Davey employees come to the SEED Campus for climbing training, they’ll first “get to know” the metal structures in a classroom that’s adjoined to the 10,700-square-foot climbing center.
In the classroom, a sample box truss with tape and signage demonstrates how different structures parallel a tree’s anatomy.
“We’ll look at the structure and just talk about it,” Rick says. “It’s a lot closer and a lot less intimidating in a smaller space. We’ll identify parts of the structure with the correct terms, so that we’re all familiar with them before we go out and do exercises.”
Training in a controlled environment offers numerous benefits. It removes distractions like noise, weather, and tree biology, and introduces advantages like repetition, consistency, and backup systems.
“We think that this is going to be more beneficial than being in the field and learning on the job,” Rick says. “It takes the stress of the job site out, and the learner is focused on actual skills, not time pressure, dollars, or any of that.”
Once trainings are in full swing, Rick expects they’ll be able to offer dozens of different curriculums, specific to techniques, service line, and skill level.
“One year from now, I would imagine this place is going to be very busy, filled with activities,” Rick says. “We can be doing concurrent trainings in this indoor space, and other indoor spaces throughout the facility, and all over the campus.”
