CPD
Tasmanian Accredited Building Practitioner Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
Explaining CPD
From 1 July 2004 all Tasmanian building practitioners, as defined in the Building Act 2000 (Tas), are required to be accredited. As a consequence they are required to earn Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Points in order to maintain their “accredited” status. A minimum of 12 points must be earned each year during the three year ‘accreditation period´. MBT has launched a CPD card system linked to its website to help industry practitioners manage this new process.
The CPD points system is an integral part of on-going reforms to improve the performance and professionalism of the industry and to ensure that building practitioners keep their skills and knowledge attuned to current industry practices. This is in line with other industries which require practitioners to maintain their knowledge of current legislation, management and technical competencies thereby improving the professionalism of the industry.
The CPD scheme uses professional development activities already available to the industry, such as Membership of industry Associations (eg MBT), attendance at industry seminars, meetings, committees, and training courses. It will give points to full-time contractors in the industry and support and reward those who provide training for apprentices.
Accredited building practitioners are required to accumulate 36 points over a three year period. Additionally, building practitioners are also are also able to claim CPD points for training undertaken by defined business associates where that training complies with the Government’s CPD Policy. This claim is restricted to a maximum of three CPD points of Group 2 training each year.
Accredited building practitioners are required to maintain a record of the CPD they have undertaken as proof of attendance. This may be in the form of a training diary, or they may use the Tasmanian MBT’s website, where all CPD activities can be recorded and maintained, to ease the administrative and record keeping burden.
Where a practitioner cannot certify their compliance with the CPD Policy their re-accreditation may be refused.
CPD activities have been categorised into Group 1 and Group 2 activities. Group 1 involves ‘structured´ learning activities while Group 2 consists of ‘interactive´ learning activities. Table 2 provides examples of the different learning categories. The points may be accrued via different types of activities in both categories.
CPD Group 1 and Group 2 Activities
| GROUP 1 ACTIVITIES | GROUP 2 ACTIVITIES |
|---|---|
|
|
Each activity has a maximum number of points that cannot be exceeded, these are as follows:
|
12 POINTS PER CPD PERIOD (MINIMUM OF NINE POINTS FROM GROUP 1) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Group 1 |
Capping (Max points per year) |
Group 2 |
Capping (Max points per year) |
|
Structured on the Job Training |
No capping |
Meetings |
3 |
|
Industry Based Education |
No capping |
Committee Representation |
3 |
|
Seminars/Workshops |
No capping |
Discussion Groups |
3 |
|
Short Courses |
No capping |
Mentoring |
3 |
|
University Education |
No capping |
Lecturing |
3 |
|
Vocational Education |
No capping |
Publications (subject/trade/technical) |
3 |
|
Information Sessions |
3 |
Private/Individual |
3 |
|
Trade Sessions |
3 |
Apprenticeships (supervising) |
3 |
|
Conferences |
3 |
Service to the Profession |
3 |
|
|
|
Training for a Business Associate |
3 |
|
|
|
Subscription to the Building Code of Australia (BCA) |
1 |
|
|
|
Membership of Industry Association |
1 |
Within each of these categories there are many and varied activities that earn points, MBT will advise as to the proposed activity group and points allocation for each CPD activity provided by the Association. MBT will also assist in this regard for activities undertaken external of MBT.
In addition to MBT’s Training Calendar, the Tasmanian Compliance Corporation will maintain a database of all courses/training scheduled to be run by industry Associations etc.
MBT fully appreciates that many long term, proud industry participants may initially find these requirements confronting, however we expect the industry to ‘give this a go´ because the majority of active builders who do actually invest in their business and the industry won’t have too much trouble in achieving their points. Those who refuse to keep up to speed with changes in the industry only bring it into disrepute and will inevitably be forced out over a period of time.
This can only make it better for those that remain, as well as the clients who place their trust in our industry and in MBT Members in particular.
