With membership such a fundamental part of the Institute of Quarrying, not only in Australia but within all IQs globally, the value of membership is always front of mind for the organisation and decisions made by the IQA board.
On reviewing the membership and analysing the types of roles members hold in the industry, it is evident it is not only quarrying professionals directly engaged in operational or producer-related roles – quarry manager, operator, weighbridge clerk etc – who see value in their membership, but also many of the suppliers who contribute significantly to our industry.
Without our suppliers, the organisation most likely wouldn’t exist and the industry would be a much different place, with support and advice being harder to come by, let alone gaining access to plant and equipment!
Suppliers make up about 34 per cent of our membership, and the IQA recognises that this segment also has educational and professional development needs.
Having had regular and recent conversations with many of our sponsors and major supplier organisations, the IQA believes it can add value to these organisations and our members through educational opportunities that are both industry-and role-specific.
{{quote-A:R-W:250-Q:"Without our suppliers, the industry would be in a very different place."}}Being able to build relationships and rapport and quarrying practices and processes (“quarrying 101”) are all common requests for training from those involved in supplier or customer relationship roles.
The IQA will work in the coming months to develop content relevant to members in supplier organisations.
Another area of focus for the IQA is addressing recent competency changes, and particularly the difficulty in many states training people and satisfying competencies to fulfil mandatory proficiency requirements.
After our recently announced offer of mandatory competency training for quarry managers in partnership with industry-specific registered training organisations, we have released a tender to identify and secure other training providers to allow a broader delivery to our entire membership. This will also include modules to assist with exam preparation (where this is required) as part of the attainment of certification for statutory roles.
These offerings have come directly from the membership and we will continue to listen to the needs of our members as we build relevant training content. As I’ve previously mentioned, to inquire or participate in any of our educational offerings, you can contact IQA CEO Kylie Fahey via email: ceo@quarry.com.au
I also want to take this opportunity to thank Brad Rooney and the conference organising committee for their dedication and commitment to date to the 2019 national conference. I recently visited the venue in Geelong, the home of the Geelong Cats AFL team, and I have no doubt this world-class venue will provide for one of the best IQA conferences in many years.
The conference theme of “The Future of Quarrying” has set the tone for an exciting speakers’ program. With more than 50 per cent of the exhibitor spaces already sold, I’m confident the 2019 event will be one to remember. Registrations can now be made online via the IQA’s website: conference.quarry.com.au
Have a safe and productive month ahead.