AIMS Executive Officer Susan Hull shares the latest in education & training.

   

Maintaining the AIMS reputation as a professional body

During the Hobart conference I had the opportunity to talk to quite a few members, some who have been with the AIMS since its establishment, some who have been members for some time and new members who have been with AIMS for only a couple of years.  When talking to long term members the conversation inevitably ends up about the old versus the new and I am often questioned on how I will ensure that our Institute’s reputation for high standards is maintained.

I agree that it is the general professional excellence and effectiveness of our long term members that provides all AIMS members with a certain status of professionalism which, in reality, is AIMS’ true value and best member benefit we can provide. I also agree this status is certainly one worth preserving and that some members do become concerned about how we will achieve that.

Conversations with newer members often focus on a perceived “gap” between the older more experienced surveyors and those coming up the ranks. They express concern over a closed door attitude to sharing knowledge and survey experience and feel that they don’t fit in with the master mariners and old sea dogs.

It’s perplexing for me as I personally find many of the long term members are so eager to work with new surveyors and we have quite a few who have put their hand up to mentor them, help students with practical experience and are happy to knowledge share. They often recognise that students might also be an attractive buyer base for those wanting to sell their practice and retire.

However, we have recently had a couple of member queries regarding the RTO and their concern at the number of new students coming through. The rationale is that since the institute owns the RTO, we have an obligation to only take the number of students the industry needs and to be mindful not to flood the market with people who can’t get any work despite successfully completing the course.

It should be noted here that the majority of our students are already working in the industry either as surveyors or in a related field. We have safety inspectors and auditors, environment protection students who want to know how the survey is done and how the legislation is applied, we have shipwrights and engineers and electricians and Master 5, Master 4 and Integrated Ratings. We also have a number of naval architects as students.

Many students are simply formalising their skills and knowledge against an accredited qualification, many do it for AMSA accreditation and to have another string to their bow so to speak. We also have a number of ‘students’ who are AIMS members and who are completing the course via RPL and some gap training as a CPD activity. Many more of our members should undertake this pathway.

On the one hand we have a large proportion of members who do not undertake CPD in any form and we have a large proportion, both new students and members who do.

As our recent survey results showed 48 per cent of all members (almost half) are aged 60 plus and in the next 5 years will most likely no longer be in the industry. We already have a shortage of skilled surveyors and yet here we are in 2016 with some members worried about students flooding the market.

This is a great contradiction as the survey also pointed out that members believe that surveyors require 5 to 10 years of practical experience to be considered professional. So in 5 years’ time or when 48 per cent of members are now 70 or older does the AIMS just begin to dwindle away as half of the membership retires?

Where are we going to get surveyors from if we don’t start to train them now? Isn’t this precisely why we developed qualifications in the first place?? Or like lemmings with our heads in the sand shall we just let the rest of the world train them and recruit skilled surveyors through 457 visas.

No, we should take the initiative, as we have done, and we should continue to be responsible for training and developing new surveyors TO OUR STANDARDS. The long term experienced professional members of the AIMS should be the ones driving this great initiative and they should be willing to mentor students as part of their own CPD program.

Professional development is not just about learning new skills, it also ensures that you keep ahead and informed of any changes around legislation, technology and new work practices. A good number of our members do not undertake CPD and yet there is an entire suite of new legislation around domestic commercial vessels that our members have no working knowledge of.

Our new students are for the most part experienced maritime workers and they have on average 5 years of experience in a maritime field and they bring much to the table in terms of new work practices, use of technology and a commitment to learning. They also have a thorough understanding of the National Law and how it applies to certificates of survey. Sadly, they are largest proportion of members that do.

It is a fundamental part of being a professional to undertake CPD.  Along with ‘on the job learning’, CPD helps to ensure your competence over the course of your career – not just your speciality or particular survey categories and it is not something that you got out of the way 10 years ago.

Whilst it is acknowledged that a certain amount of learning can be achieved ‘on the job’, it is widely recognised that regular formal education and training is necessary to supplement and enhance such learning. Hence the RTO and formal qualifications as well as maritime experience!

Providing a means to obtain CPD allows the AIMS as a professional body to demonstrate that all members (at each level – Probationary, Associate, Member and Fellow) are competent and are keeping their knowledge and skills up-to-date yet many do not take advantage of this.

CPD can add to the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that you already have. There is always a need to learn and develop – age, seniority and expertise are not barriers to undertaking CPD. All of the professional institutes these days encourage CPD for two main reasons (1) gaining new knowledge and (2) improving professional practice.

Mentoring a student or helping a new surveyor with practical experience is CPD and it will help maintain our professional standards. It is a worthy use of your time and will improve and broaden your skills plus those of the student. Mentoring a student or providing work experience attracts AIMS CPD points.

Get on board – maintain our high standards and do yourself and your industry a favour.

Susan Hull

Executive Officer