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The Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) is the peak association for infrastructure asset management and professionals.
In recent times, the organisation has expanded its traditional local government engineering focus to broader public works, covering all tiers of government as well as the private sector, which comprises 40% of IPWEA membership. Almost all of Australia and New Zealand’s professional consultancy firms that specialise in public sector infrastructure – including roads, water, power, rail, ports and airports – have managers and staff who are members of IPWEA.
This was the first program in their Emerging Technologies suite, designed to upskill public works professionals, and as an opportunity to increase uptake of smart technologies in local governments
Preparing members and organisations to utilise emerging technologies
IPWEA wished to develop a short, self paced microcredential on Asset Tracking and Monitoring, which will inform learners about the different technologies available, its use cases and the benefits of asset tracking, and which will help learners develop a plan to implement it in their own organisation. The learning is based on two key documents – the IPWEA Business Case and Model Specification.
The learning was required to be around 3-5 hours in duration, with completion resulting in the issuing of a digital badge. IPWEA are planning to create future programs using a similar format in the future.
The proposed solution includes self-paced learning, include eLearning, video, activities, additional reading and reflective activities to explore the key concepts, as well as an ‘Asset Tracking Plan’ the learner completes throughout to plan the implementation of asset tracking in their own organisation.
This was delivered through Guroo’s Academy learning platform, allowing for additional functionality such as automatic issuing of badges and advanced reporting, and enabling Guroo to build more cohesive learning journeys that did not rely on eLearning alone.
The course is designed to be short and practical for time-poor professionals, giving learners the info they need, demonstrating how to apply it, and allowing learners to finish the course with a draft business case that can be presented to their organisation.
The Learning Journey
The learning journey consists of self-paced, online courses. Model specifications are introduced, the concepts within are explained and tasks are scattered throughout the learning that require learners to apply new concepts, technology and model specifications to their organisation's needs. At the end of the course, they can download the work they have completed to form the basis of their draft business case.
The program is currently being promoted to IPWEA’s member network, and through their website, with over 200 learners currently enrolled via IPWEA’s Academy program.
With the success of the original program, IPWEA are now working with Guroo to develop further courses to expand the upskilling options available to their member network.