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ACCESS IN ACTION • NOVEMBER 2015
ACCESS in ACTION
The importance of ongoing training and
professional development
Training Director's
message
As trainers there is great value in building and maintaining your
professionalism not only for that competitive edge or the respect of
your peers but also to enhance the learner’s learning experience.
As trainers the worst thing that can
happen is stagnation.
You would recall the EWPA owns
Industry Compliant Training (ICT)
a Registered Training Organisation
(RTO). While the EWPA trainers are not
aligned to ICT the EWPA has adopted
the responsibilities placed upon RTOs
under the National VET Regulators
Act (1.16): ”To ensure trainers undergo
personal development in their area of
expertise”. While this responsibility sits
with the RTO, all training professionals
should embrace lifelong learning and
professional development.
Lifelong learning can be defined as
an “all learning self-directed activity”
undertaken throughout life; it is flexible,
diverse and only limited by a person’s
ability. The aim is to improve knowledge,
skills and competences. Historically
Lifelong Learning would be considered
as a voluntary act. Now days’ workplace
innovation, the drive for advancement
and securing a competitive edge for
ongoing employability are the forces
driving people to engage in continuing
education and training.
Professional development
All trainers have their own store of
tacit knowledge, which is accumulated
wisdom and life experience. While this
knowledge is the foundation stone of
your area of expertise, it’s not enough!
This knowledge soon becomes dated
as the industry practice and innovation
continues to evolve.
Professional development (PD) is learning
opportunities that build upon your
professional practice (PP). It can be formal
or informal, most importantly, relevant to
your area of expertise.
Reflection
Take a moment to reflect upon your
measure of professional practice. Are
you one of those trainers that relies on
your past skills and knowledge prior
to moving into the training sector or
have you remained engaged within
your area of expertise? What have you
done over the past 12 months that
can be accredited to your professional
development? When was the last time
you visited the Australian Standards or
read the operator’s manual belonging to
the equipment you’re training on?
If you’re not building on your professional
practice you have stagnated! The
answer lies within; start with short term
achievable goals.
To assist EWPA accredited trainers with
their PP the EWPA has been conducting
PD sessions. Some are training related
others are equipment. Attending state
meetings and the HRIA convention are
also relevant. Don’t let these learning
opportunities pass by. While RTOs will
increase the pressure for trainers to
maintain their PD it’s factual the better
the trainer the better the learner’s
outcome will be.
Phil Middleton
EWPA Training Director
According to insulated elevated work
platforms (EWP) supplier, Aerial Access,
the past few years have seen a special
interest in providing a secondary method
of inadvertent protection of controls in
baskets of EWPs.
“Steps to eliminate inadvertent
movement from most manufacturers have
been undertaken with each manufacturer
having their own variants of protection
systems, which have developed positive
outcomes for the industry,” Michelle
Cave, Marketing and Sales Coordinator for
Aerial Access said.
“Most protection systems have been
designed with power supply from the
base of the EWP to the control systems
at the basket, to provide power for the
protection systems. Where this differs is
for use with ‘insulated’ machines where
it is not possible to run cables from the
Secondary protection for elevating work platforms
base to baskets,” Michelle said.
“Some protection systems have been
developed to prevent the operators from
crushing against an object and require
physical contact with an external source
such as a wall or beam to activate
the secondary protection system for
inadvertent movement of controls.
“Aerial Access Australia has
designed a system that can
be used with non-insulated
machines and also insulated
machines by providing a
battery pack to the basket
and allowing it to be
independent,” Michelle said.
“The design developed by
Aerial Access Australia
prevents operators from
any physical contact by
incorporating an audible
alarm and light strobe system when
nearing an object. The preset distance
is set to allow time for the operator to
correct the operation of the basket and
a second pre-set shut-off will safely shut
down the machine prior to any impact."
Contact 1300 654 591 or visit website:
www.aerialaccess.com.auAerial Access Australia has designed a protection system that can
be used with non-insulated machines and also insulated machines