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38 | ACCESSS
in
ACTION | MAY 2012
ACCESS in ACTION
By Phil Middleton
EWPA Training Director
The new Yellow Card Training
Program will be officially
launched at this year’s HRIA
Convention following discussion
and review of the final draft by
the EWPA training committee.
The Yellow Card program
now aligns itself with the
Resources and Infrastructure
training package, Unit of
Competence (UoC) titled:
RIIHAN301B-Operate Elevating
Work Platforms.
As a nationally recognised
UoC, the new Yellow Card will
provide the flexibility required
to meet the needs of the many
different industries
encompassed by our association.
In recent years there has been
an industry shift from Duty of
Care type training to Nationally
Recognised Training (NRT).
For EWPA members, this shift
has been gradually permeating
all industry sectors, some at a
quicker rate than others, for
instance, the resources sector.
For some time now it has
been apparent some sectors,
including the mining and
resources sector, have not
recognised the EWPA Yellow
Card as appropriate training.
Public and private RTO’s
are having difficulty offering
credit for the Yellow Card from
Harmonising Nationally Recognised
Training and the Yellow Card
students
that request
recognition
of prior
learning. This
is because
the Yellow
Card has not
fallen under
a particular
nationally
recognised
UoC and the
format of the
current Yellow Card training is
not consistent with current UoC.
Why this shift to NRT? The
current Yellow Card works well
so why change something that
isn’t broken?
Influencing factors for the
shift to NRT could be the
strengthening relationships and
cooperation with Industry Skills
Councils and the Vocational
Education and Training sector
(RTO’s, TAFE, private colleges),
employers and unions. This
relationship, by design, requires
Skills Councils focus on meeting
the needs of industry.
Redeveloping our Yellow
Card program to fit into
national training programs
means, as an industry, we gain
training credibility, while our
trained members will now have
the option to gain a Statement
of Attainment which builds
on their life-long learning
achievements.
Basically the
Yellow Card
program
remains largely
unchanged.
The EWPA
will still retain
control and
development
of the program
and manage
required training
essentials.
Basically we have added more
content to the UoC
because we are driven by
industry and are aware of what
industry considers necessary for
safe operation of an EWP.
For example: the adopted
UoC did not clearly mention the
potential for overhead crush
injury or offer awareness and
prevention training but this has
now been added (along with
other materials) to the new
Yellow Card UoC.
As an industry, the EWPA is
vitally aware of the potential
for grievous harm as a result
of overhead crushing while
operating an EWP.
It is vital we train our
operators well and also share
our knowledge so other
industries are made aware of
the potential for harm.
The integration of the current
yellow card program and UoC
RIIHAN301B- Operate Elevating
Work Platforms means all EWP
operators gain the same
knowledge when they achieve
their Statement of Attainment.
This could be seen as a
true example of national
harmonisation.
The government is keen to
have employers and the work
force committed to the concept
of ‘lifelong learning’.
Definitions like, professional
development, continuous
improvement, currency of
qualification, updating of skills,
verification of competence are
now common terms.
Replacing our previously non
accredited training (the old
Yellow Card) with NRT or our
new Yellow Card UoC makes
our training program relevant
and credible. NRT can be
integrated into a learning
pathways being and become
the building blocks to a
qualification.
The EWPA ‘Yellow Card
Program’ has served members
and the access industry well.
The program has continually
evolved and has now taken
another step forward to
become NRT.
Phil Middleton
Chief Executive Officer
Workplace Training Centre
ph: 02 9622 6060
www.wptc.com.au
HR
Alco Battery Sales Australia & New Zealand
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1300 883 643
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