Skills maintenance

By Bruce Duggan - 1 April 2022, Build 189

Following on from the recent series on the history of licensed building practitioners (LBPs), this article investigates what continued professional development (CPD) looks like. In the LBP Scheme, we know this as skills maintenance.

MOST PROFESSIONAL associations where members need to keep their knowledge up to date have a CPD programme of some kind. Can you imagine going to an architect or engineer and getting advice that was current when they trained 30 years ago?

And there’s the medical industry, airline pilots, your accountant, building consent officers – you’d really expect them to know what they’re doing to earn your hard-earned cash, wouldn’t you? This is exactly what your client is expecting of you.

Always learning new things

A lot of keeping up with the play is naturally occurring – you’re in the industry carrying out your job every day, so you’re bound to pick things up from the plans or see one of your workmates doing something differently. This is what the boss was talking about when you first started work – ‘you’ll learn something new every day on site’.

It’s not just about laying one brick on top of another or drafting a plan. If something you do improves efficiency in your work or in the running of your business, improves your dealings with customers or workmates or provides a more cooperative and inclusive working environment, it’s going to be beneficial to the customer, to you and therefore to the industry.

Design, site and carpentry

For carpentry and site practitioners, it’s relatively easy – there is always a new product, system or installation instruction, so there is always something new on site. It may be a bespoke engineering detail or an architectural feature that requires the designer to explain exactly what they want.

This may not be a discussion you’re personally involved in, but the message will be relayed to you if you’re doing the job, so there’s good skills maintenance there. This discussion is great for one of your on-the-job learning examples – remember to keep a copy of the detail off the plans and any instructions from the designer as evidence.

It could even be that the building or safety inspector has a discussion with you regarding an incorrect installation or a potential hazard you hadn’t picked up on.

Our Design LBPs have a far more stringent CPD regime than skills maintenance if they belong to a professional organisation. Robyn McArthur of Architectural Designers New Zealand shares some of the CPD activities their members undertake:

A vast selection of suppliers’ webinars and films.
Superhome events such as bus tours (working towards more healthy and efficient homes).
Teulo talks, pods and webinars (Teulo is an online education platform).
Passive House Institute of New Zealand (PHINZ) events.
Engineering New Zealand (ENZ) – engineer involvement in their projects.
Manufacturers’ seminars.

Roofing, plastering, brick and block, and foundations

For our specialist trade practitioners, it becomes somewhat more difficult to find or recognise learning opportunities, especially where there is not the abundance of new products entering this market.

Brian Miller, on behalf of the Master Brick and Blocklayers Association, provided four key elements necessary to ensure a competent and enduring tradesperson in the sector:

Current competency – technical compliance and keeping current, being aware of dimensional and composition changes in products to ensure accurate and aesthetically correct installation.
Core business skills such as operational costs, employment law and financial acumen for businesses and contractors.
Health and safety – a wider focus on wellbeing in addition to site-specific requirements.
Future proofing the industry – taking on apprentices and being fully involved in their training. The Association is introducing access for apprentices with an education package that includes webinars and a site verification app to improve the efficient compliance certification of installation work, all at no cost.

Softer skills also earn CPD

Graham Moor, CEO of the Roofing Association of New Zealand agrees that CPD doesn’t always need to be trade specific. There are many softer skills that will fit the criteria of improving site awareness and the client’s experience during the disruption in their space while you are working there.

For dealing with the customer, he suggests:

knowledge of the requirements under the Consumer Guarantees Act and Fair Trading Act
customer service awareness
dispute resolution courses. For a cohesive worksite that also enhances the customer’s experience, he suggests:
cultural awareness, given the mix of ethnicities and cultures found on sites today
mental health – the building industry has some of the highest suicide rates in New Zealand – join MATES in Construction or one of the many organisations active in this field
employment law – this is for employers, employees and contractors alike – know what’s required and what’s fair.

Industry associations can help

One thing highlighted above is that industry associations are there to keep you up to date and current using webinars, newsletters, magazines, conferences, workshops, seminars and competitions. Although belonging to an association has a small cost, the benefits are worth it not only for your skills maintenance requirements but also for your own personal growth.

Quiz

1. Why is keeping your knowledge current so important?

a. It’s a requirement under the current legislation.
b. Most professional people do it.
c. You have to do it so you can relicense.
d. The client expects your knowledge and skills to be right up to date, just as you do when paying for a service.

2. Why is it relatively easy for carpentry and site LBPs to identify and record skills maintenance?

a. They’ve been doing it longer.
b. They’re much more likely to encounter new products or systems in their work.
c. There are more of these practitioners.

3. What things are considered to be good skills maintenance activities?

a. Teaching the dog to jump into the new ute.
b. Buying lunch for the team.
c. Something you do that improves efficiency in the work you do or in the running of your business.

Answers: 1. d, 2. b, 3. c.