Teams Video Meeting With IFPS
Hi Guys,
Further to the email below which was sent out to all FPSWA committee members. Donna has arranged to have a Teams Meeting with the IFPS to discuss the items mentioned below on Tuesday 30th April at 6pm Perth time.
From:exo@fluidpowersociety.com.au <exo@fluidpowersociety.com.au>
Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2024 2:24 PM
To: 'Donna Pollander' <dpollander@ifps.email>
Subject: RE: IFPS and FPSA
Hi Donna,
Thank you for your email and the opportunity to discuss expanding your international presence, which we greatly appreciate. In Australia, our Technical & Further Education (TAFE) sector, once robust under government management, has undergone significant changes over the years due to cost-cutting measures and privatization. Consequently, individual TAFE trade campuses have transitioned into cost centres, with a focus on profitability rather than offering a diverse range of courses.
This shift has resulted in certain courses, such as fluid power, being marginalized in favour of those that generate higher profits, such as motor mechanics, electricians, and carpentry. Unfortunately, this has led to a decline in the availability and prominence of fluid power courses, including the absence of fluid power content in the Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree program.
Recognizing this gap, the Australian Fluid Power Society (AFPS) is committed to providing quality fluid power education opportunities for the industry. Currently, we offer face-to-face courses through our Registered Training Officers (RTO), as outlined in the attached training brochure. Additionally, we offer customized training courses tailored to industry needs and promote popular online courses in hydraulic safety IHSA and fluid power education IFPS.
While your courses have garnered positive feedback, one limitation is their lack of Australian accreditation, preventing them from being recognized as part of formal educational qualifications. This oversight is a significant factor for individuals seeking to progress from certificate to diploma qualifications, as recognised educational attainment often correlates with career advancement and higher pay scales.
Regarding your suggestions:
- Coordinating a Certification Testing event in Australia: We require more details to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of this proposal.
- Offering discounts on Training Modules with the purchase of a certification test: Cost is not typically a barrier to accessing training modules, as employers often cover these expenses. Instead, our focus should be on expanding marketing efforts within key sectors such as mining, manufacturing, defence, and oil & gas to increase course uptake. While we allocated $2,500 to marketing efforts last year, we believe that reaching a critical mass in marketing will significantly boost online course enrolment within these sectors.
- Providing free Web Seminars: This is a viable idea, albeit with the challenge of time zone differences. Recorded web seminars streamed during business hours have shown promise in the past. However, sourcing presenters remains a challenge.
We welcome the opportunity to brainstorm ideas further through a Zoom type meeting. The suggested time of 6-7 am your time would work for us. Please let us know if this suits your schedule.
Best regards,
Stuart
From: Donna Pollander <dpollander@ifps.email>
Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2024 7:41 PM
To: Stuart Coleman <secoleman@iinet.net.au>
Subject: IFPS and FPSA
Hi Stuart-
At our most recent Board of Directors meeting, we had some discussion about working toward increasing our international footprint, whether it be certification, membership, and/or education/training. Australia was one of the international locations that was specifically discussed. We brainstormed and wanted to reach out to you for your thoughts on how IFPS can help with the safe and efficient use of fluid power technology.
Some ideas we came up with:
- Coordinating a Certification Testing event in Australia
- Discounting (further) the Training Modules (with the purchase of a certification test)
- Free live web seminar for FPSA members (haha maybe 2am! In the US)
We would love your input, and perhaps we could schedule a video call to brainstorm together?
Regards,
Donna
