Skills maintenance

To remain licensed, you need to show you are keeping up with the changing industry. The Licensed Building Practitioner Scheme refers to this as ‘skills maintenance’.

Skills maintenance is about staying on top of your game. Maintaining your skills and knowledge will help you work more effectively, minimise errors and costs, and improve workplace safety. The aim is for high quality and safe buildings, and consumer confidence.

Points required

Licensing Class	Points over 2 years
Trade classes	24
Site 1 and Design 1	30
Site 2 and 3 and Design 2 and 3	36

If you hold two or more licensing classes you must complete the higher point allocation. For example, if you are licensed in Carpentry (Trade) and Site 2 you need to acquire 36 points.

How to get points

You choose the type and style of activities that best suit your needs and the requirements of your licensing class. The activities you choose need to inform you about things such as changes in the building code, building materials and design technologies.

Some examples are:

• gaining knowledge of current materials and practices
• undertaking career development and ongoing training
• development of work practices
• teaching skills to help the industry
• attendance at seminars, workshops, conferences, trade events
• inductions
• reading publications, newsletters, magazines, journals etc
• tertiary education
• meetings regarding construction matters
• supervision of an apprentice (formal arrangement required)
• working parties for the construction industry
• site training
• researching
• conducting presentations in a professional environment.

One hour of skills maintenance equals one point.

What evidence do I need to keep?

When/if you are audited you will need to provide evidence of the skills maintenance you have undertaken.

For formal activities delivered by tertiary training providers, particularly those that are part of the NZ Qualifications framework, make sure you keep your certificate or record of learning. For other activities, keep receipts or other evidence that shows what you did. Keep a record of your points as shown below.

How long do I keep my records for?

You should keep your records for a minimum of two years.  Depending on your circumstances it might be useful to keep records for longer, for example, when reviving your licensing after a period of voluntarily suspension.

Keeping a record of your points

Keep a diary, spreadsheet (excel), word or paper record of your points. Update it as you accumulate points.  One hour of skills maintenance equals one point.

Example:

Roger’s Skills Maintenance record
Annual due date: 25/08/09  
Points required: (30) 15 per year
Assessment of current competence due: 25/08/10

Date	Activity	Hours	Points	LBP activity
13/09/08	BRANZ timber seminar – timber cladding	3	3	Registrar
14/11/08	BRANZ bulletin issue 502 – On-site Sequencing	1	1	Registrar
25/01/09	BBFNZ newsletter – Worldskills, Apprentice of Year, Tax Changes for Self-employed.	1	1	Registrar
2008/09	Supervision of carpentry apprentice J. Bloggs – Ph: 412 2355. Passed various unit standards		6	Supervising Apprentice
18/03/09	Session with manufacturers technical rep on correct application of fire and sound rated inter tenancy wall system	1	1	Site training

Date: enter date/s of activity.
Activity: description of learning. Enter as much detail as possible, e.g., for books and magazines you have read, include the title, article, date, issue, and page number.
Hours: hours spent on activity.
Points: one hour of skills maintenance equals one point.
Skills maintenance activity: refers to the category that the activity you have completed falls into. Below is a list of the maximum (Max) number of points you can allocate to each in a two year period. Activities are capped to ensure a broad coverage of competencies.

Skills maintenance activity list

Activity category	Examples	Maximum points over 2 years
Structured on the job training	Company run training programmes, inductions, safety training, and training of a new skill	6
Seminars/workshops	Industry run seminars, workshops	6
Industry based education	Training by training providers	6
Meetings	Industry organisation meetings where building issues are discussed e.g National AGMs	4
Information or trade events	Trade breakfasts, roadshows	5
Conferences	Trade organisation (formal part of activity).	6
Lectures	Preparation and conducting presentation concerning the industry in a formal environment. i.e  Classrooms, Seminars , Meeting rooms and Conferences	4
Tertiary education per semester	Pass grade required	6 (per semester)
Committee representation	Member of working parties for industry related bodies eg. DBH , Local Authority Committee, ADNZ  and Standards	2
Discussion groups	Run by industry related bodies on industry matters	2
Mentoring	Provide valuable industry knowledge, business experience and guidance in an organised and formal manner	6
Activities approved by the Registrar	No limit on the amount of points every 2 years – Activities approved by the Registrar	No limit
Publications	Reading material. i.e  journals, newsletters, magazines, text books and manuals	5
Private study	Researching, Internet, Web-streaming, DVDs and CDs	6
Supervising an apprentice	Formal apprenticeship agreement required.	6
Service to industry	Formal arrangement between you and an acknowledged industry body, organisation or DBH that do not fall into another category.	2
LBP Assessor	Being a LBP Assessor.	6
Workplace safety	Relevant articles, training or courses.	4
Bonus point	If you submit on time then you will earn this point in the next year	1

How do I submit my points?

Use your personal records/diary to update the Record of Skills Maintenance form. This is to be completed and returned at the same time your annual Licensing fee is due. A letter will be sent to notify you of this.

Do you know of any good activities?

Do you know of, or have you completed, an activity that is not included in the above list that may be beneficial to other LBPs?  If the answer is yes, then please send details to info@dbh.govt.nz or phone 04 473 8823.