Proposed CPD Scheme for Victorian Plumbers

After many years of advocacy by the Master Plumbers, the Victorian Government is investigating the implementation of a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) scheme for licensed and registered plumbers.

Master Plumbers will be making a formal submission to the Department of Energy, Land, Water and Energy (DELWP) review process.

You may have received information from the VBA on this initiative and been asked to complete an online survey before July 29.  Below is a summary of the key points Master Plumbers is intending to make in the submission, which may be of assistance to those who intend to complete a survey.

1. For several key reasons (better compliance, improved safety, better consumer and business outcomes, individual and industry resilience, and capacity) Master Plumbers supports CPD. 
2. In order for the scheme to gain the necessary level of practitioner buy-in, and for it to realise its potential to deliver improved compliance, it needs to be mandatory (i.e.: established in the Regulations, and that license/registration renewal will be CPD dependent).
3. To be successful and enduring, the CPD scheme should also:
   • be sufficiently flexible to be relevant for all practitioners
   • include a mix of compulsory and non-compulsory units
   • include technical and non-technical units
   • be Industry informed and be driven by industry needs, rather than just by short-term compliance issues
4. Of the Options proposed in the Discussion paper, we believe the one which has the best potential to achieve these things is Option 3 - the mixed model. 
5. The broad framework to establish CPD should be set out in the Plumbing Regulations, but that the specific units of competency required should not be locked into regulation but should be determined by a representative industry committee/panel.
6. This is primarily because the design and implementation of the scheme is critical to its acceptance and success but also recognises that CPD in our regulated and licensed industry is complex.
7. Mandatory CPD represents a significant change for the sector.  The transition needs to be managed in close consultation with the industry, and implementation should not be rushed. 

If you would like to provide any feedback to Master Plumbers, or have any questions please forward your comments to [email protected].