Prof bugged nooooo!!! GM help or anyone really?

Hey all, im not sure if anyone else has had this problem with aion especially on the highrates (lumiel) but i think it maybe a game design bug with the actual game. I play on lumiel and grinded my armour smithing with the job orders to 423, this took some time but i was like yessss leet armour gogogogogo. So then i go off to poeta to jam some essence tapping for so i can level that up to get late game mats, one problem, as my char is lvl 55 and has already ascended i no longer have the collection skill needed to farm those early game mats and get my skill up, it needs to be lvl 15 for the lowest essence tapping harvests (iron) and its stuck at 11 as i cant farm anything... Am i royally screwed or is there anyway in which i can get it to 15 without having to reroll my entire char (Isiah lvl 55 temp on lumiel)
GM please help, I dont want to have wasted my time with this char due to poor game design.

 

I should prolly have posted this under problems but i figured feedback is feedback..

 

well usually u should be able to skill your essence tapping on all essences you find.. i made mine 499 with the lvl 5 essences in verteron xD also for aether