It goes without saying that properly trained staff can improve the productivity of any organisation. However, when it comes to public works, the benefits of assembling a trained workforce extend far beyond simply ‘getting the job done’.
In fact, hiring staff that have been educated and accredited by IPWEA – or signing up your existing staff for IPWEA training – can give your organisation several profound advantages.
The benefits of using IPWEA-trained personnel are three-fold. First, IPWEA’s new Asset Management Pathway is fast becoming the gold standard in training for asset- and infrastructure-focused public works professionals. By hiring new staff that have completed the pathway, or by upskilling your current staff, you can have confidence that your team has received best-in-class training underpinned by the International Infrastructure Management Manual (IIMM) and IPWEA’s other highly regarded publications.
IPWEA has linked the IPWEA Asset Management Pathway to the new World Partners in Asset Management (WPiAM) Global Certifications Scheme. Team members who complete the Professional Certificate in Asset Management Planning and the Integrating Asset Management & Governance courses satisfy the knowledge requirements equivalent to the Certified Asset Management Assessor (CAMA) certification.
This enables IPWEA AM Pathway participants to leverage their educational achievements (when combined with 5-years demonstrated experience in Asset Management) to make an application for the Certified Practitioner in Asset Management (CPAM) designation via the new WPiAM Global Certification Scheme. Being an internationally recognised designation, this confirms their place among the public-works elite.
This designation doesn’t just benefit the employee: it’s also something your organisation can display proudly to enhance its own reputation.
Third, team members who have completed the Asset Management Pathway are ideally placed to take advantage of the various opportunities and resources that an ongoing IPWEA membership offers. (While IPWEA membership and IPWEA’s educational programs are separate, they fit together naturally, and we encourage graduates to become IPWEA members.)
Becoming a member grants your employee access to further training and development opportunities that are not open to the general public. These opportunities complement and build on the content of the Education Pathway, giving your employee a chance to hone skills in a particular area and gain an even more sophisticated understanding of the topics the pathway covers.
The value of IPWEA membership
Of course, that’s not the only reason your trained staff should maintain an IPWEA membership. First and foremost, membership is one of the best ways for employees to stay up to date with the latest developments in the fast-moving public works space and to maintain their relevance.
Another key benefit of membership is the access it affords to IPWEA’s community of more than 5,000 members. In addition to online forums and jobs boards, IPWEA members can access programs such as the Coffee Cup Challenge, which pairs participants from IPWEA’s under-35s cohort, YIPWEA, with experienced professionals for knowledge-sharing and professional development.
The 20-week program, which incorporates at-home exercises and three informal ‘coffee meetings’, creates a professional and personal bond between mentor and mentee that can endure for years.
These are just some of the ways that IPWEA training and membership can benefit public works professionals and, in turn, strengthen the organisations they work for. So, when you are next hiring, keep an eye out for candidates with IPWEA accreditation and/or membership.
If you’re also interested in upskilling your existing employees, consider signing them up for IPWEA membership first to unlock preferential rates for the Education Pathway.
