The foundation
APIA began the Pipeline Engineer Training (PET) project in 2009 to address concerns about an emerging shortfall in pipeline engineering capability in the industry. The Board, recognising the enormity of the task, and APIA’s limited resources, decided to take the initial steps of developing what became the APIA Guide to AS2885 and the APIA Pipeline Engineer Competency Standards. This was Stage 1 of the PET project.
The guide was designed to address concerns about a growing lack of understanding and active use of AS 2885. The competency standards were designed to provide a competency-based framework that would be used by the industry in a broad range of methods which could facilitate training and development of pipeline engineers. These methods include undertaking training gap analysis at a variety of levels, developing training programs, designing courses, career planning, recognition of prior learning, etc.
The initial versions of guide and the competency standards were completed during 2010 and have since been available to members via the APIA website. The two documents were complete in the sense that they could be used by industry as part of their training and development programs, but there were gaps consciously left for further development.
At the end of 2010, the APIA Board decided that, having established a foundation for pipeline engineer training with the guide and competency standards, there was a need to build on that foundation in a range of ways that would make them useful for industry. This development of the foundation of the guide and competency standards became Stage 2 of the PET project and was undertaken during 2011 and the first half of 2012.
Building on the foundation
The schematic (pictured) provides an overview of Stage 2 of the project, and includes some activities that emerged as the project proceeded.
Education and engagement
Having invested in developing the guide and the competency standards, it was essential that APIA follow up that investment by doing all it could to ensure members were aware of and had an understanding of the documents, as well as an awareness of how they could use them to promote training of their pipeline engineers.
The strategy for doing this comprised:
- Presentations at APIA and Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Centre (EPCRC) seminars and YPF meetings;
- Individual company visits to explain the documents and discuss application to specific needs of each organisation; and,
- Assisting companies in starting to apply the competencies.
Tools and resources
Another key element in assisting the industry in taking up the PET project was to develop tools and resources that would help companies and individuals apply the two documents; especially the competency standards. Three tools were developed and two training information resources that were made available to members on the APIA website:
- An Individual Assessment Tool – an Excel spreadsheet which facilitates the process of assessing an engineer’s overall competency and identifying training needs to develop training.
- A Group Assessment Tool – applies individual assessments of the capabilities and gaps within a team, leading to team training and development plans.
- A Competency Portfolio Template – a Word document that provides a template for gathering the evidence to support claims of competency.
- Course provider and course database – mapped to competencies. This not only covers Australian pipeline specific training, but includes key international training providers and courses, and Australian organisations that offer training not specific to the pipeline industry, such as welding, corrosion protection, project management and asset management.
- University course database- mapped to competencies. This covers all Australian university engineering courses that are relevant to pipeline engineering.
The training needs survey
One of the needs of the industry is to match training courses to the needs of industry. With the assistance of a reference group of training providers, APIA undertook a survey of the industry’s pipeline engineer training needs. A lot of useful information was gathered, but the survey also identified a conundrum:
- 66 per cent of companies say their pipeline engineering capability falls short of what is needed;
- The companies’ willingness to invest in training is not commensurate with its need; and,
- Trainers are not willing to invest in new courses, because the market is too thin.
It is clear that there is a lot more to understand before new courses will be developed and that APIA has a potential role in helping that to occur.
Pipeline engineer registration
One element that was identified as part of the project is that pipeline engineering is not formally recognised as a discipline in its own right. APIA was able to persuade the National Engineering Registration Board and Engineers Australia that it should register pipeline engineers as a specific area of practice on top of their registration of mechanical, civil, chemical and electrical engineers.
APIA is currently establishing Competency Panel and an Assessment Panel, which will do the work of defining eligibility criteria and assessing against those criteria. The Competency Panel was appointed in July 2012 and has begun developing the criteria. APIA expects that registration will be available by June 2013.
Enhanced web publishing
Having originally developed the guide and competency standards as PDF documents, Peter Tuft – one of the members of the original reference groups – suggested publishing them as “˜smart’ web documents with helpful features relevant to tech savvy engineers. This has been done and the smart versions will be available from December 2012.
New competency areas
APIA is blessed with a strong culture of volunteering and contribution and, as a result, three new competency areas have been identified for development. Three new reference groups have been established to develop the competencies:
- Plastics pipe (with the Plastics Industry Pipe Association (PIPA)) -a strong CSG focus, plus water and gas distribution.
- Offshore – the Western Australian industry substantially resourcing work on a significant addition to the competency standards; and,
- Composite pipe – suppliers and engineers getting behind and resourcing new competency areas.
Co-ordination with the Energy Pipelines CRC
There are natural linkages between the PET project and Energy Pipelines Co-operative Research Centre (CRC’s) Education Program. The Energy Pipelines CRC has obligations under its agreement with the Federal Government to transfer new knowledge arising from its research to industry and academia. As part of that process, the CRC needs to identify the appropriate existing knowledge to which the new knowledge will be added. The Energy Pipelines CRC is using competency Standards to connect existing knowledge to new knowledge.
Ultimately, the Energy Pipelines CRC’s new knowledge will find its way into the competencies. Critical to all this working effectively is good communication and co-ordination. Mr Harvey, as PET Project Manager, has taken on the role of facilitating this communication through membership of the Energy PipelinesCRC’s education Committee. This will contribute to optimising the effectiveness of APIA PET project and the Energy Pipeline’s CRC’s education program.
Co-operation with ASME Pipeline Systems Division (PSD)
An unexpected surprise during 2011 was interest expressed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Pipelines Systems Division in the APIA Competency framework. The result has been an in-principle decision to adopt and adapt the APIA competency standards for the North American pipeline industry. APIA is in negotiations with ASME on a licence agreement for the use of APIA’s intellectual property associated with the competency standards.
This is an exciting development, which could lead to an ongoing partnership between APIA and ASME.
What’s next?
Over 2011-12, APIA has built on the foundation of the guide and the competency standards to maximise their value to the industry. However, there is still a lot to be done before their value can be fully realised. The plan for Stage 3 of the PET project includes the following:
- Complete the Guide to AS2885;
- Complete the remaining 139 competencies;
- Finish adding the new Competency areas;
- Establish and consolidate the registration process;
- Enhance the tools, resources and website;
- Pursue the ASME PSD opportunity;
- Follow up the training needs survey;
- Facilitate investment in new courses;
- Assist industry in getting the most out of the guide and the competency standards.
APIA anticipates that the results will be a significant increase in the application of the guide and the competency standards and a growing workforce of capable pipeline engineers needed for the industry as the role of pipelines continues to grow as part of Australia’s economy.