In May 2014 another 19 detailed competency standards from the new competency area of plastics pipe were added to the list.
Another seven new competency standards on composite pipe were finalised and published in June 2014, bringing the number of finalised competencies to 121 from a total of 235 identified to date under the program.
Work on drafting the remaining 114 competency standards is under way.
In addition, a dedicated team of volunteers from the offshore sector is working hard over in Western Australia to produce a set of competency standards relevant to the offshore industry, and they have identified more than 100 competencies.
An update on the development of the Offshore Competency Standards can be found on p.38 of the April 2014 edition of The Australian Pipeliner in an article titled, “˜Offshore Competency Standards are taking shape’.
Why were the APIA Pipeline Engineer Competency Standards created?
Beginning in 2009, the development of the APIA Pipeline Engineer Competency Standards has been a significant project.
Introducing a competency-based system in Australia recognised that the process for training pipeline engineers largely occurred informally on the job.
Recognising competency in engineers with a variety of experiences in a range of different environments can be difficult.
In addition, AS 2885 requires competent persons to make key decisions and give approval in a number of instances, which gives rise to two more questions: who is competent in each instance and how is that competency assessed?
The APIA Pipeline Engineer Competency Standards enable engineers and their employers to answer those questions.
They clearly identify the knowledge, expertise and experience required to be assessed as competent in each competency standard.
They identify the roles and responsibilities an engineer assessed as competent would be able to undertake and they provide clear assessment criteria.
Why are there so many competency standards?
The competency standards are developed by reference groups consisting of volunteers who are experts in the specific competency area.
Once the reference group is satisfied with a competency standard, it is made available via the APIA training website for a period of industry consultation.
This process has ensured that the competency standards reflect industry practice and are in line with AS 2885.
APIA Project Manager for the Pipeline Engineer Training Project, Chris Harvey, says the number of competency standards is a consequence of the approach taken by the reference groups.
He said the reference groups had adopted an inclusive approach in identifying the competencies.
This means that there is a range of competencies that some might consider peripheral to pipeline engineering, but it was a considered decision to include them, because some pipeline engineers will have them and they are relevant to the industry as a whole.
Examples of competencies that could be considered peripheral include instrumentation and control, commercial aspects, and environment and heritage competency standards.
No single pipeline engineer is expected to be assessed as competent across all the standards.
They are grouped by area of practice – such as asset management or welding – and stratified by level (core, elective, specialist) to guide assessment of the level of expertise as well as assist in career planning.
The structure has been designed to cover the fact that, to be a good pipeline engineer, you need to have a breadth of knowledge about the industry and depth of knowledge in an aspect for which you can take full responsibility.
According to Mr Harvey, good pipeline engineers “know what they know and what they don’t know”.
What training and resources are available?
The competency standards workshops, held in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne from February to June 2014, introduced the standards to pipeline engineers, training and development managers, human resources managers and training organisations.
The workshops helped participants to better understand the competency standards, and how they can assist in business processes and career planning.
The competency standards and their associated tools and resources can help to:
- Design career paths for pipeline engineers;
- Assess which courses to take to move towards achieving competency in particular areas;
- Highlight gaps in experience to help managers provide opportunities for development;
- Assess whether individuals and teams have the knowledge and experience needed for projects;
- Make informed decisions about competency in relation to AS 2885;
- Design training and assessment programs to meet needs; and,
- Build strong teams that are right for the job.
The competency standards will also form the basis for assessment for registration of pipeline engineers in Australia under both the national and Queensland systems when introduced later in 2014.
In addition, Mr Harvey has designed a number of tools and created additional resources to make the competency standards easy to use.
These include individual and group assessment tools, lists of courses mapped to the relevant competency standards and a standard template for recording and verifying experience.
Acknowledgements
The competency standards could not have been developed without the significant effort of APIA members who volunteered their time to participate in reference groups.
Their continuing contribution is crucial to further development of the competency standards, highlighting the value of the industry’s volunteers.
Some competency standards have been developed with volunteers from members of the Plastics Industry Pipe Association and the Water Services Association of Australia.
This enables the competency standards to be common across sectors, which significantly increases their credibility and helps to ensure public safety.
Finally, APIA would like to thank APA Group, Nacap and Woodside for providing training rooms and refreshments for the workshops.
To view the APIA Pipeline Engineer Competency Standards click here.