Maintaining Registration1 Application2 Accredited Training3 Non-Accredited Training4 Other Activities5 Significant Project 6 Exceptional Activities
Maintaining Registration
To maintain registered status:
- Operators must remain active in the industry in the field related to their current registration.
- WIOA will require documentary evidence of the accumulation of 5 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points for low complexity systems, or 15 CPD points for high complexity systems within the preceding five-year period.
- Pay the nominated renewal fee for the next five years.
Two potential pathways allow registered operators to ensure their competencies and capabilities identified during initial certification remain current. Re-registration pathways include:
1 Professional Development
Certified Operators choose to re-certify by participation in professional development activities. Professional development does not just include training programs or conferences.
2 Audit / Demonstration of Current Competence
The Drinking Water Supplier, or Wastewater Authority or Recycled Water Supplier, or the Registered Operator may elect to undertake a Registration audit within three (3) months of the expiry of their registration.
The Registration audit shall be performed by an operationally competent person, who is independent of the Drinking Water Supplier, Wastewater Authority or Recycled Water Supplier, and who is approved or nominated by the Registration Body. The Registration audit will be undertaken using an appropriate audit methodology/tool.
1 Application
Applicants for Re-Registration must complete the Application Form which includes personal information, water business information, the plants to be re-registered for, and any treatment processes added since the previous Registration/Re-Registration application.
To assist individuals to maintain their Registered status and to provide the greatest level of flexibility to employers, WIOA recognises a range of CPD opportunities allowing Registered operators and employers to choose those options that best suit their needs.
Continuing Professional Development opportunities are classified into the following categories:
- Accredited Training – formal Units of Competency from the National Water Training Package delivered by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and where a formal Statement of Attainment is issued.
- Non-Accredited Training – completion of training courses, seminars, or workshops designed to directly update or refresh the technical skills of Registered operators.
- Other Activities – attendance or participation in conferences or industry events, along with activities designed to challenge technical competence and in doing so, keep the skills of Registered operators current.
- Significant Workplace Project – by definition, undertaking a significant workplace project where Registered operators are able to perform an in-depth investigation into a facet of their Registered field. This is an ideal opportunity to challenge the technical competence and thought processes and in doing so, keep the skills of Registered operators current.
- Exceptional Activities – activities that do not easily fall into any of the previous categories but which when completed, also challenge the technical competence and thought processes and in doing so keep the skills of Registered operators current.
Details of all the CPD activities undertaken by the individual in the previous period should be provided with the application
Applications should be accompanied by the payment of the Re-Registration application fee ($110 inc GST).
On completion of the Re-Registration process, an additional fee of $440 (inc GST) for the following 5 year Re-Registration period.
2 Accredited Training
Accredited Training
Australia’s Vocational Education Training (VET) system comprises nationally recognised training packages developed with comprehensive input from industry to ensure that training is relevant to the workplace. For our industry, the National Water Training Package (NWP) has been developed and contains common standards and assessment guidelines for a range of Units of Competency, covering a variety of water industry functions.
Undertaking training in accordance with the Water Training Package is referred to as Accredited training. Accredited training must be delivered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) who issue Statements of Attainment for individual training units completed. These can eventually lead to the awarding of a formal qualification such as a Certificate, Diploma, or Advanced Diploma.
Re-Registration points can only be awarded for Accredited training if Statements of Attainment are provided, and on the condition that none of the Units of Competence claimed were required as part of the initial registration process.
Each individual application must be supported by evidence of completion of accredited training such as Certificates, Statements of Attainment or official student records (Academic Transcripts) from an approved RTO. All documentation supplied must be verified as an accurate copy by the water business and WIOA will undertake random audits of documentation supplied.
| ACTIVITY | DESCRIPTION | POINTS & EVIDENCE | |
| 2.01 | Completion of additional approved units of competence at Certificate II level |
|
3 points per unit completed |
| 2.02 | Completion of additional approved units of competence at Certificate III level | 4 points per unit completed | |
| 2.03 | Completion of additional approved units of competence at Certificate IV level | 5 points per unit completed | |
3 Non-Accredited Training
Other Activities
5 Significant Workplace Project
Significant Workplace Project
WIOA recognises that once an operator has been employed in the water industry for a significant period of time (minimum of 10 years), the scope to undertake additional relevant training courses and/or other relevant professional development opportunities in order to maintain Registered status reduces.
WIOA also recognises that the technical skills of many experienced operators are often utilised to undertake projects designed to deliver operational improvements or process optimisation outcomes.
In recognition of this important technical work, WIOA is prepared to consider and recognise a significant workplace project, provided adequate documentation supporting the extent of the project undertaken is supplied and that the scope of the project undertaken would be considered to be outside the scope of normal duties of the Registered operator.
In order to evaluate the extent of a Significant Workplace Project, and the number of points for which it may be eligible, WIOA would require detailed documentation outlining:
- The details of the project
- The need for the project
- A detailed project methodology outlining the steps taken in undertaking the project
- A project report outlining the outcomes of any investigations or works completed including but not limited to any time, cost savings or Workplace Health and Safety improvements delivered
- Project participants and nature of the contribution of each (time, expertise, skills)
- Endorsement of the project, outcomes and project report as predominantly the work of the Registered operator by the “suitably qualified person”.
| ACTIVITY | DESCRIPTION | POINTS & EVIDENCE | |
| 5.01 | Completion of a significant workplace project |
|
Points reviewed and determined on a case by case basis up to a maximum of 10 points for this category. |
| 5.02 | Participate in a collaborative industry project, committee, or specialist network – relevant to the Registration stream. | Active participation in a technical project team, water industry technical committee or network. Examples include:
|
1 point for every 6 months of active participation, to a maximum of 4 points. |
6 Exceptional Activities
Exceptional Activities
WIOA recognises that once an operator has been employed in the water industry for a significant period of time (minimum of 10 years), the scope to undertake additional relevant training courses and/or other relevant Continuous Professional Development opportunities in order to maintain Registered status reduces.
WIOA also recognises that many experienced operators undertake internal training (either formal or informal), mentoring and/or staff development roles for new operators in their work teams. When determining the ongoing Registration status of an operator, WIOA will consider and recognise exceptional activities, provided adequate documentation supporting the extent of the activities undertaken is supplied. Just doing the job well, or without incident is not necessarily an activity that will qualify for exceptional activity points.
In order to evaluate the extent of an Exceptional Activity, and the number of points for which it may be eligible, WIOA would require detailed documentation outlining:
- The details of the activity
- The need for the activity
- A detailed activity methodology outlining the steps taken in undertaking the activity
- A report outlining the outcomes of the activity including but not limited to: any time, cost savings, or Workplace Health and Safety improvements delivered
- Activity participants and the nature of the involvement by the applicant, this should include information on the applicant’s contribution to the project (time, expertise, skills)
- Endorsement of the activity, outcomes, and activity report as predominantly the work of the Registered operator by the “suitably qualified person”.
| ACTIVITY | DESCRIPTION | POINTS & EVIDENCE | |
| 6.01 | Exceptional activities | Activities that do not fall into any of the previous categories. WIOA will determine how many points will be awarded based on activities undertaken and the details provided in individual submissions. For example;
|
Points reviewed and determined on a case by case basis up to a maximum of 10 points for this category. |