A cut above for validating trust
Justin Boehm, Regional General Manager at the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA), explains why the TEAM Card demonstrates another way LEEA trained technicians in Australia are a cut above the rest.
Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR) is the national scheme that allows individuals who hold an occupational licence in one Australian jurisdiction to undertake equivalent work in another jurisdiction under that licence. It was introduced in Australia in July 2021, though the commencement date for is different in each state and territory.
Licences are needed for a variety of occupations with almost one in five Australian workers requiring a licence or registration to perform their work. To perform high risk work – which covers a great deal of the work performed by LEEA members – requires the right high risk work licence.
AMR removes the need for a worker to pay and apply for a new licence or registration when working in another state or territory. The aim is to cut cross-border red tape and to help boost interstate business through improving mobility of labour and increasing access to interstate workers.
In my view, all of this shows LEEA’s TEAM card to be another way of providing a universal system for validating trust and demonstrating that LEEA trained technicians in Australia, New Zealand and across the globe. LEEA’s training is recognised world wide – not just in Australian jurisdictions – and it demonstrates our members are a cut above the rest. For end users who want to know if the technician responsible for keeping their lifting equipment in safe condition is qualified to do the job, they can ask to see their LEEA TEAM card. It provides evidence of identity and LEEA qualifications and is available to people who hold a LEEA Advanced Programme and are directly employed by a full or development member of LEEA. The validity of someone’s existing TEAM card can be checked using the ‘Verify a TEAM Card’ feature on LEEA’s website – you will simply need to know the company they work for and the registration number on the card.
The new TEAM card being rolled out in 2022 to replace all existing TEAM Cards will enhance security, provide instantly verifiable data when required, and will be instantly updated by the LEEA team when changes occur – for example, when new qualifications are added, new validation dates, change of employment details, or a new photograph.
Members will no longer have to wait for a new TEAM Card to be printed and sent by post around the world, which helps to reduce the Association’s carbon footprint.
The card will incorporate ‘smart’ technology for instant verification and will be a ‘one-time issue’ card, licensed for 3-years with auto renewal. New qualifications will be added digitally so there is no need to reissue cards and the card’s validity will be automatically renewed.
It will give secure cloud-based access to verification data using any smart phone, globally – no app is required. The data is always live and current. In terms of security the cards cannot be copied or cloned and on tapping the card against a smartphone, the holder is provided with a virtual TEAM card instantly.
All of this makes the TEAM card extraordinarily simple to use and, crucially, reassuring to businesses – particularly as they get up and running again, and wish to return to putting their trust in experts, qualifications and experience. They will be seeking assurance that the trained technicians they are using adhere diligently to high standards and quality in their field – no matter what state they come from or work in.
