Billy Wilson, manager of the Pragma Academy, has announced that a fully fledged Physical Asset Management qualification is under development. With this new direction, the gloom of an unqualified workforce due to qualified and experienced workers leaving the country will be addressed.
Pragma currently teaches 17 Key Performance Areas (KPAs) of modern physical asset management (with the 18th KPA soon to be included). The focus of the training is on the tools and techniques used in asset management and understanding how these elements interact and influence asset performance. Trainees are also taught how to develop an asset management strategy and improvement programmes.
In the run up to the formal qualification, current development entails that the 17 KPAs form the foundation of any organisation’s Asset Management Improvement Programme (AMIP). However, not all 17 (18) KPAs are relevant to each and every organisation as the asset type and intensity on each site dictates which is more applicable.
Training will be structured in a modular way where each KPA will be presented as a module. In itself, this will allow for a broader offer as material will be amended according to the KPAs that is relevant to the industry and asset requirements of the client. The material used in onsite training can also be customised to the level where the client’s own IP, case studies, examples from their own plant and other relevant material are incorporated.
Says Wilson, “South Africa is still experiencing the loss of many qualified and experienced engineers, planners, schedulers and artisans. Due to this, we are working hard on putting material on the table that will make a tangible difference in the workplace in ‘qualifying’ attendees to apply workable solutions at their operations. Our medium term strategy is to develop a formal qualification in Physical Asset Management. Our material is already aligned with PAS 55 and CPD accredited for South African standards. Application for full SAQA Unit Standards accreditation is underway. Once this has been finalised, we can focus on the formal qualification.”
“We are currently delivering a similar model in Brazil in partnership with UNICASTELO, one of the top universities in Brazil, and are already in the second phase of enrolments. We hope to partner the Pragma Academy South Africa with the Pragma Academy Brasil so that students from these entities can take part in an exchange programme, giving our young engineers invaluable international experience.”
This model will take the Pragma Academy training interventions to a whole new level. In true Pragma culture, our clients will experience peace of mind, knowing that their assets are performing optimally, their costs are reduced and their risks contained, The Pragma Way!
