Alan Bartlett Consulting now offer the

‘Key Management' Skill Set 

This skill set is aimed at people who are starting to or going to be taking on positions such as supervisor, leading hand or team leader. The skill set consists of the following three units

BSBMGT401A - Show Leadership In the Workplace BSBMGT402A - Implement Operational Plan
BSBWOR402A – Promote Team Effectiveness

This skill set can be imported as part of the Cert IV in Laboratory Operations and we can issue a statement of attainment for this Skill Set.

These competencies from the BSB07 Business Services Training Package meet the Industry requirements for a Supervisor
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Skill Sets – Meeting Industry Skills Needs

Skill Sets are defined as single units of competency, or combinations of units of competency from an endorsed Training Package, which link to a licence or regulatory requirement, or defined industry need.

Skill Sets provide formal recognition of niche training to industry that meets the specific needs of individuals and enterprises. Like full qualifications, Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) develop the training and assessment strategies to meet the needs of their clients and in line with AQTF standards.

Skill Sets can provide a valuable productivity-specific training option, particularly in environments where full qualifications are not feasible. Skill Sets can also lead to, or form the basis of full qualifications.

Skill Sets :

• enable national recognition for training without the need to undertake a full qualification

• allow flexibility to address changing skill needs

• provide a clearly defined Statement of Attainment

• ensure participants complete licensing and regulatory requirements

• increase formal training options

• provide a flexible addition to current training frameworks

• facilitate natural evolution to formal qualifications

• skill sets can be imported into other qualifications

For further information about IBSA and Skill Sets click here

http://www.ibsa.org.au/content/skill_sets.html

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Development of resource OHS301B

The team at ABC has been busy as usual. One of the tasks an RTO has to undertake continually is resource development; this can be a demanding and time consuming process.  There are always resources to create and one of the resources identified quite a long time ago was PMLOHS301B, which relates to the safe use and transport of instruments that emit ionizing radiation.

In the context of our business in laboratory training currently, we have a large number of trainees working in soil testing labs using SMDG’s or “soil moisture density gauges” which use ionizing radiation to provide data relating to soil “moisture content” and “soil density”. Due to this demand and limited opportunities for training in this specialized area, the need for a comprehensive training tool to support the competency standard OHS301B is a welcome addition to ABC’s quality and training systems.

Dr Jenny Eales (our latest staff addition) who recently became a qualified Vet was offered the task to develop OHS301B. Jenny has utilized her excellent skills and knowledge to put together, a learning tool in ABC’s format which is an outstanding effort and is greatly appreciated by the management of ABC.

Alan Bartlett had this to say about the resource;

“I spoke with Russell Lyons for Qld Radiation Health today to clarify some issues for him.  He advised that he found the resources supplied to be acceptable for a SMDG user licence safety course and that it should get the housewive’s seal of approval within the next few weeks.

This is something that I think will be well worth marketing to our existing clients as value adding to our services.  Hopefully we can gain acceptance for it in other states.

Congratulations and thanks, Jenny”.

Mrs. Ward goes to the doctor's office to collect her husband's test results.

The lab tech says to her, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but there has been a bit of a mix-up and we have a problem.
When we sent the samples from your husband to the lab, the samples from another Mr. Ward were sent as well and we are now uncertain which one is your husband's. Frankly, it is either bad or terrible."
"What do you mean?" Mrs. Ward asked.

"Well, one has tested positive for Alzheimer's and the other for AIDS. We can't tell which is your husband."
"That's terrible! Can we do the test over?" questioned Mrs.Ward.

"Normally, yes. But Medicare won't pay for these expensive tests more than once."
"Well, what am I supposed to do now?"

"The people at Medicare recommend that you drop your husband off in the middle of town. If he finds his way home, don't sleep with him."

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Team Quote

A boat doesn’t go forward if each one is rowing their own way.

Swahili proverb
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RPL Forum – Manufacturing Skills Queensland 18/11/2008

On Tuesday 18/11 Kalvin and Eddie attended the RPL forum conducted by Manufacturing Skills Queensland. The workshop provided a great opportunity to network with other training organisations and also helped us to gain an insight to various approaches to the RPL process. Further to this, a discussion hosted by Tony Whittaker outlined the current status of vocational training in Australia in direct comparison with the rest of the world.

What the statistics showed was a severe lack of skills recognition amongst our current workforce. It is due to these statistics that the Federal Government and State Governments are trialling new initiatives to increase the uptake of skills recognition and RPL amongst our existing workforce. This will become more apparent in coming months as places are made available in the Productivity Places Program for Existing Workers in Queensland. This joint initiative has been trialled in at least two other states with a high level of success. The Federal Government is set to release these details in the coming months. These discussions also allowed us to focus on various methods that other organisations are using to assess existing workers in skills recognition as we look to boost this uptake on the world stage.

As advocates of RPL and skills recognition processes, this workshop proved highly beneficial in re-enforcing our current practice as well as providing alternative methods to future recognition processes. We’d like to thank Manufacturing Skills Queensland for the opportunity to participate in this workshop and look forward to new innovations in the skilling of our workforce.

Out and About

Our trainers will be visiting these locations on the following dates.

Greg and Mark Mills will be in:
Newcastle, Tuncurry, Lane Cove, Geotest, Northmead, Minto, Sydney, Unanderra, Network - 15th - 18th December

Mark Mills will be in:
Mt Isa - 2nd - 3rd December
Wagga Wagga and Albury - 9th - 11th December

Greg will be in:
Dubbo, Bathurst and Orange - 8th - 9th December

Eddie will be in:
Wacol - 1st December
Lawnton - 3rd December
Richlands - 4th December
Darra - 16th December

Mark Hammond will be in:
Townsville, Century and Cairns - 1st - 5th December
Helensvale and Beaudesert - 10th December
Gladstone - 12th December

Alan and Mark Hammond will be in:
Tingalpa - 16th December

Nicole will be in:
Ascot and Loganholme - 1st December
West Burleigh and Helensvale - 2nd December
Centenary Heights - 8th December
Stafford - 10th December
Herston - 11th December
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Impressive StormVideo through the Gap on the 16/11/08

Click here to view video
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Staff Profile
Greg Broad

What does your role at ABC involve?
Training and assessing and other duties as directed, ha ha.

What was your first job?
I worked in a shearing shed during school holidays to go to a scout jamboree. After high school I started as a cadet laboratory technician with the Queensland Irrigation and Water Supply Commision.

How has your previous jobs helped you in your role at ABC?
I have accumulated a wide range of skills, knowledge and qualifications across the training packages we deliver.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Spare time? Whats that? Community work mostly, scouting these days, travel, dining, movies, some handyman stuff and gardening sometimes as well as reading, writing and arithmetic.

What are your work priorities this week?
Trying to finish off some files and plan next few weeks trips.

Do you have any personal goals?
To live long and prosper. To travel more and develop my workskills. To work less but earn more to enjoy life.

What is your favorite internet site?
www.blackle.com for finding stuff as well as www.racq.com.au for travelling to places in Australia.

Tell us something that your work colleagues may not know about you.
I'm a changeling! I was changed from left handed to right handed when I started school, sort of successfully. 7-10% of the population is left handed. A greater percentage of left handers seem to work in laboratories.

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RTA Testing Forum

While in Sydney for the Australasian Laboratory Managers Association Conference, Alan attended a Roads and Traffic Authority forum on testing for contracts relating to the Authority’s projects.

The forum was also attended by representatives from private testing companies, ECLA (Engineering and Construction Laboratories Association), Main Roads Queensland, NATA and a LIMS (Laboratory Management Systems) software supplier.

It was prompted by RTA’s concern that the existing QA systems were in many cases not resulting in high quality products.  RTA is proposing to upgrade their existing laboratory registration system including requiring minimum qualification standards for all testers.

The MRDQ delegates described the system being rolled out in Queensland which in turn has been derived from the existing RTA system.
The testing organisations and ECLA raised issues in dealing with both RTA and contractors and the consensus was that they would prefer to be retained by the principal (ie. RTA) rather than the contractor. 

The roads authorities recognised that the new system would result in testing costing more but that this would provide a better return for the testing organisation and that they were prepared to resource the system appropriately.

There have been discussions of this type nationally so that if your organisation is involved in state and federal highway projects you can probably expect to see a similar scheme in your area soon.
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ALMA Conference in Darling Harbour

Alan Bartlett Consulting Pty Ltd has recently joined Science Industry Australian Inc (SIA) and Australasia Laboratory Managers Association (ALMA) as members.

Alan Bartlett and Greg Broad attended the ALMA conference as delegates and manned a booth in the trade display to help spread the word about how "We bring the training to you!"

Alan gave a short presentation about Alan Bartlett Consulting. The ALMA conference was a good opportunity for Alan Bartlett Consulting to network within the laboratory industry and we hope to have a bigger and better booth at next years conference in Melbourne.

The day after the conference, Greg Broad attended the SIA Inc. AGM at Eppendorf South Pacific and was nominated and accepted a position on the National Council of SIA Inc.

Alan holding the ABC fort at the ALMA conference