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Asset Management Qualifications

  • 1.  Asset Management Qualifications

    Posted 01-03-2021 15:09

    I have often read job advertisements for Asset management Coordinators or similar that ask for a Degree in Asset Management. Now I have researched this for a long time and to the best of my knowledge there are no Degrees in Asset Management, in fact it is not a recognised individual field of study. There are post graduate qualifications that include Asset Management, and I have one from Monash Uni. There are also other courses that provide a qualification which may not be in the Australian Qualifications Framework (aqf.edu.au/aqf-levels).

    This poses a number of questions.

    1. Do we need a Bachelor of Asset Management (AQF7)? Or is a Graduate Certificate/Diploma in Asset Management sufficient (AQF8)? If so what primary degree is required to do this course or should it be open to all facultys and not just a B C. Eng?  Which Faculty would it belong, Accounting, Economics or Engineering?

    2. Do practitioners in AM need a Degree level course or would a TAFE level course be enough? A Diploma or Advanced Diploma or Certificate IV etc (AQF4-6). This would enable non Graduates to study as well.  If it did, would this be a hurdle requirement to work in AM? Would you do such a course (online or in a classroom)?

    3. Is (Infrastructure) Asset Management becoming a profession? or a para profession?

    4. Is asking for a degree in Asset Management (see Echuca's Strategic Asset Coordinator advertised this week in the ALG Job Directory (01MAR21) - aka holiday guide) seeking the impossible? Are the people writing this criteria out of touch or do they believe there is a Degree in Asset Management? (I am not bagging Echuca here others have asked for the same)

    5. How many of you don't have any qualifications in AM or have any team members without any qualifications and ended up doing the job through an evolutionary process?

    6. Who should champion a move to recognised AM qualifications.

    I have been passionate over this for some time now and would be interested in anyone's thoughts or opinions. I have had a proposal for a TAFE level course now for some time but getting traction has been hard.



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    Ashley Bishop
    Asset Management Coordinator
    Benalla Rural City Council
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  • 2.  RE: Asset Management Qualifications

    Posted 02-03-2021 14:52

    I have had a few direct replies that are worth summarising here:

    There is the suite of IPWEA courses, and the WPiAM  and the AM Certification program, linked to ISO 55001. The Asset Management College also does the CAMA course.
    But these are all industry courses and not necessarily in line with the academic rigor I am suggesting.



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    Ashley Bishop
    Asset Management Coordinator
    Benalla Rural City Council
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  • 3.  RE: Asset Management Qualifications

    Posted 02-03-2021 16:16
    Good question!
    I have completed a degree in Accounting and Fundamentals in Asset Management, I work within and Infrastructure team and struggle to progress AM in my organisation despite people thinking it's a great idea... I essentially work as an Asset System Coordinator. When I do come across AM jobs it is often asking for an Engineering degree but AM is so much more broad than the infrastructure side alone. I believe AM should be a profession/para profession as is essentially what most organisations do, traditionally its just broken down into sub departments often creating silos.

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    Samantha Gartland
    Northern Territory Airports
    Operations Systems Coordinator
    Eaton
    Australia
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  • 4.  RE: Asset Management Qualifications

    Posted 03-03-2021 09:26
    Yes Samantha, that is my point. I am not  a B Eng either, but as I don't do any design or construction work, or even inspection of assets, I don't think it is necessary. Most of the work is in forecasting, which is more like economics, as well as the accounting, DBM and GIS ( I am a one person department) I don't think a Graduate qualification is essential but a sub graduate one would enhance people like you with professional recognition and as a benchmark for entering the trade and it could be done online.

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    Ashley Bishop
    Asset Management Coordinator
    Benalla Rural City Council
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  • 5.  RE: Asset Management Qualifications

    Posted 02-03-2021 16:16

    Hi Ashley,

     

    You pose some very good questions. Regarding the job advertisements, I have witnessed in some organisations that I have worked where position descriptions are polished by a central HR team prior to posting, and at this point if the job level requires a degree then this is added, perhaps with little thought or knowledge of the qualifications out in the market. I'm Head of Education at IPWEA, so this is a topic area I am interested in.

    We have been working on the development of an Education Pathway (https://www.ipwea.org/education/edu-pathway), to support ongoing development in asset management. We have added new offerings at the foundation level and a new Professional Certificate in Infrastructure Financial Management. These are not AQF courses, however we are very open to articulation with relevant qualifications. Our courses are practical and applied and are underpinned by the IIMM and IIFMM.

    I'm interested to learn more about your TAFE proposal and will reach out separately to discuss.

     

    Jonathan Jones

    Head of Education

    IPWEA



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    Jonathan Jones
    IPWEA Australasia
    Head of Education
    North Sydney
    Australia
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  • 6.  RE: Asset Management Qualifications

    Posted 03-03-2021 13:57
    Hi Ashley,

    great topic that I am sure will get some debate occurring.

    I am observing that the role of asset management within council's is often seen as the keepers of the asset register information and generally do not undertake hands on asset management. ie whole of life decision making on the assets.  Sure, the asset team generally analyse the information available and develop renewal programs but do not make the decisions (Not custodians of assets).  Under these circumstances, a degree in engineering is not really required and a more useful skill set is data management (We are very reliant on Asset Information Systems - T1, Assetic. Civica, etc).

    The underlining issue may be more related to what value Asset Management has within the organisation and how willing are organisations  to pay for the role.  This also implies that the asset management role/responsibility is the same within all local government organisations.  ie, embedded within Engineering, Finance or a Corporate level.  Is the role focused on defining policy and processes, data management. asset lifecycle decision making, project management, financial accounting, infrastructure planning, etc).  It has been said that to be an asset manager, you must be and Acoun-gineer, but it is much more than this.  Bit like being a Platypus (mix of lots of things in one package).

    Asset Management needs to be a way of doing business and asset management fundamental training should be mandatory across the whole of council.  That way, individual expertise in engineering, data management, accounting, planning can be best used.

    I'm not convinced that having a dedicated Asset Management Qualification will improve asset management practices.

    Would love to  have this debate added too.










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    Andrew Grant
    Assets Specialist

    Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council
    Tel: 02 6285 6221
    Mol: 0429 130 039
    Web: www.qprc.nsw.gov.au
    Mail: PO Box 90 Queanbeyan NSW 2620
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