The Board may put a spin on the truth but the figures don't lie.

The proposed qualifications for Plumbing Gasfitting and Drainlaying. Is it just another bandaid on a failing system?  Should we accept them just to full the gap or should we wait and get it right?


Linkback: https://www.plumbers.nz/fellow-practitioners-update/41/fellow-practitioner-issue-200-dated-4-april-2014/1655/

Hi Wal,

Don't mean to criticise but the basic qualification issues you've identified are not different to what they're doing now are they as far as usefulness goes? The supervision stuff is a board requirement outside of the qualifications.

The main two things different are the exam at level 4 and the new level 3?

I don't have a problem with the level 3. People still have to adhere to the law after getting it and it could help with getting an apprenticeship. Polytechs run pre-trade course already, this just ensures they'll be consistent as at the moment they all do their own thing with no benchmark which the qual would be.

I don't see a problem with the exam in level 4. They have to do it now, just separate. At the moment we could have guys with their level 4 but no exam pass. At least if they get the new qual you can be satisfied they've met all the requirements.

I agree inconsistent delivery is a problem but thats for someone to moderate the polyptychs not an issue with the qualification.

Have to admit, I personally think you should either be qualified or not. I don't see the purpose of the licenced class. Electricians get by with only one class, why couldn't we?

Does any one know of any other country where they have 2 levels of qualification in the plumbing and gas industry's?

Hi Backflow and everyone
I think you summed it up in your second reply Backflow where you stated “Have to admit, I personally think you should either be qualified or not. I don't see the purpose of the licensed class. Electricians get by with only one class, why couldn't we?” But here we are being asked to support a qualification that we don’t agree with. We were told early on in the process by Skills that they couldn’t alter the registration as that is up to the Board. The Federation asked for a meeting with the Board to instigate that consultation with the industry and have been scheduled for the middle of this year to meet with them.
The proposed qualification simply falls into line with the Boards Registration.  We have no doubt the content of the qualifications combined go a long way to being what is needed to create a suitably qualified tradesperson but seven years to achieve that is a joke.  The ITOs have failed us in the past to such an extent that now they only provide assessments and their so called training is directed at getting people to pass those assessments not at becoming the much needed competent trade’s people.
These qualifications again are left open to interpretation by the ITO and training provider. We feel there should be more defined stipulation in the qualification in what skills must be taught as “hands on” skills by the training providers.
If the PGDB was to consult on the registration regime and it was changed what would be the use of these qualifications?  We would yet again be left with something that is not suitable. As the qualification is dependent on the registration regime then that is where the process should have started.
With regard to the pre-trade/level 3 it may have its uses but only if we are producing numbers of people who are suitable to go into apprenticeships and it the apprenticeships are available. I would suggest people are paying to attend a course with the expectation that they will get an apprenticeship where that is not always the case.
The industry does need good qualifications that are designed for the industry not for the ITO and training providers. You could ask the question of how much money supplied by the Government to train apprentices actually gets to that training. Look at the current licensing statistics for Licensed Plumbers where there are 4348 that are registered and only 470 have licensed so far this year. Thats 89.19% of the people the government have pumped money into for training are not legally applying their skills to that trade. Licensed Gasfitters are similar where there are 2526 registered and only 225 have licensed so far this year, 91.09%.
The qualification and registration regimes are failing the country. 

The Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers Board - modern day terms = BLOATWARE

Who is the stakeholders they've been working with? Is this the Master Plumbers?

http://skills.org.nz/latest-news-4/latest-news/#s6312