Friday the 13th where good verses evil.  What a day to look at the opinion of the Ombudsman into Continuing Professional Development. This is s a very comprehensive (long) reply to the opinion but it is full of FACT you need to know.  The news letter pits Fact against opinion and one fact that can't be changed is that when setting competency standards it was intended the principles of section 32 of the Act be applied to the matters (courses) for the protection of the industry.

We urge you to take the time to read the news letter and the opinion by the Ombudsman. The Board needs to realize that as long as the CPD scheme is questioned it will be a failure.

Linkback: https://www.plumbers.nz/fellow-practitioners-update/41/fellow-practitioner-issue-241-dated-13-february-2015/1825/

The Ombudsman must have had too much coffee when he signed off his opinion.

I agree with Badger where these government departments and people in positions of authority only report on what they want the public to believe. The truth doesn't really matter.

In answer to your question Robbo I have the perception that they were contacted and sometimes perceptions can be more damaging than anything else. I heard Nick Smith had said in a letter he was going to look at CPD in the new year well Nick the new year is here. I see it this way: we have a bunch of over educated bums sitting on their bums restricting the flow of oxygen to their brains making decisions for people who think and work with their hands at the same time. That restriction of oxygen has stalled training and development at level four to make sure the government reaches its goals with regard to education.  To cover their bums they are trying to hand on blame and more responsibility to tradespeople who have worked hard over the years to get their skills to a high standard. Remember the leaking buildings, who got the blame, the tradespeople and we have been paying the price ever since. Plumbers gasfitters and drainlayers had nothing to do with the leaking buildings but it was used as justification for the 2006 competency based act. Smith and co are screwing us over. I think they should be removed and replaced with people who care about the industry and the safety of the public. The portfolio for our industry has been handed from no body to no body who have appointed people who are scratching to survive.  Just my perception.  Watchdog

Looking at the Board Member Profiles there seems to only be a couple who don't work for training institutions or are involved in training. Look at how many are members of Master Plumbers who are providers of CPD and who supported the Boards Scheme. Surely this was a conflict of interest that has never been looked at.

The civil disobedience has started already with people turning their backs on the regulation of the industry. CPD is going the same way as the Paul Gee case and the unlawful taking and expenditure of milllions of dollars from the industry which the Government retrospectively made legal - neither have been accepted by the industry and CPD is the same. These issues will be points of conflict and mistrust until they are addressed to the satisfaction of the industry. Likewise the suspected issuing of certifying status to three people who have never done apprenticeships in the relevant trades.  One believed to have been involved in an explosion and other issues, one who gave him his qualification and then was involved in the explosion investigation and one other all of who were possible member of the Institute of Professional Engineers of NZ. You would think IPENZ would look into this - do they want people in their membership that claim qualifications which they didn't earn. Sorry almost forgot isn't Nick Smith a member of IPENZ - you would hope in his capacity as Minister he wouldn't want his Board giving away qualifications to unqualified people.