The NSW Government has made changes to the maintenance of competence scheme which effects people in the industry who hold a practising certificate issued by the NSW Resources Regulator to exercise specific statutory functions.
The new scheme started on September 1 and has been designed in consultation with the Mining and Petroleum Competence Board.
The new accreditation system makes sense. It is about making sure people with these qualifications do ongoing professional development to retain their competence or skill level, much the same as accountants and other professionals. Things change in five years, and it is also about competence in non-technical as well as technical aspects.
What do the changes mean for people?
If you currently hold a certificate of competence, you will need to apply for a practising certificate. You’ll be invited to apply for your certificate at staged intervals. Once you hold a practising certificate you must undertake specified hours of recognised learning for areas of competence over the five-year validity period of your certificate.
6 key steps
- Apply for a practising certificate.
- Regulator issues your practising certificate and you start your maintenance of competence.
- Complete professional learning requirements according to your certificate.
- The certificate holder must record completed learning hours, topics covered and types of learning undertaken in a logbook and keep supporting evidence.
- Regulator undertakes audits on compliance with scheme requirements.
- Apply to renew your practising certificate with a declaration of learning every five years.
Learning requirements
The scheme sets out the specific learning you have to undertake in certain areas of competence, the types of recognised learning and the number of hours of learning for each type of practising certificate. There are strict rules on claimable hours.
You need to complete learning in five areas of competence.
- Mining and Work Health & Safety (WHS) systems.
- Legislation.
- Emergency management.
- Leadership and management.
- General WHS topics.
It is your responsibility to be aware of the learning requirements required over the period of your practising certificate.
