Pool Lifeguard Practicing Certificate

Skills Active Aotearoa and New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA) are pleased to offer the minimum qualification required to work as a Pool Lifeguard - The Pool Lifeguard Practicing Certificate (PLPC). Formerly known as the National Pool Lifeguard Award (NPLA), it is the Industry's recognition of the skills a person needs to work as a lifeguard in an aquatics facility.

The PLPC is owned and managed by NZRA and administered through Skills Active (Sport, Fitness & Recreation Industry Training Organisation) who can provide assistance and more information on other training opportunities in the aquatics industry.   

PLSA & PLPC Update - important!

As a result of the feedback received from the recent NZRA and Skills Active PLSA & PLPC survey, an industry advisory group met on 30 March to discuss and recommend potential changes.  Recommendations have since been made to the PoolSafe advisory group and these were endorsed by the group. The changes are as follows:

• Duplication will be reduced by frontloading more training in to PLSA
• One training resource with two sections will be created
• Forms will be redesigned to ensure more efficient assessment and credit reporting
• A facility guide will be created to help you implement the awards  

Full details and diagrams of these changes can be found here.

Aquatics Qualifications Survey Feedback

Thank you to the sixty-one people who completed the recent NZRA and Skills Active survey about our Aquatics qualifications.  There were some definite key themes in your feedback that Skills Active and NZRA are addressing.  Our aim is to reduce any unnecessary duplication so that you are able to focus on ensuring important minimum standards are met and maintained more effectively.  

Summary survey feedback:

• Positive feedback around National Certificate in Aquatics (Level 3) qualification pathway
• Duplication and repetition between assessments and resources
• Increased assessor administration time and cost with paperwork and process
• Slow and inaccurate processing of resources, certificates and cards
• Confusion about how to deliver the new qualifications
• Too many forms
• Qualifications difficult to implement with seasonal facilities
• Timed swim is a barrier and needs clear assessment conditions
• Confusion about costs, charges, rebates, minimum age requirements.

Where to from here?

On 30 March 2012, Skills Active and NZRA held an industry working group meeting to consider this feedback and develop a series of recommendations for NZRA PoolSafe Advisory Group to consider at their meeting on 17 April 2012. 

Following the NZRA PoolSafe Advisory Group meeting we will provide you with a further update on any proposed changes or improvements through Skills Active's newsletters and website, the NZRA Active Thinking newsletter, and in person at the NZRA and Skills Active Aquatics Forums in April-June 2012.

Our goal is to make any improvements in time for next summer's season. 

For more information please contact: Jenni Pethig at Skills Active (jenni@skillsactive.org.nz) or Alison Law at NZRA (alison@nzrecreation.org.nz).

The PLPC is achieved in two stages:

REVALIDATION

Download a copy of the Revalidation Reporting Form

NATIONAL CERTIFICATE IN AQUATICS LEVEL 3

To further your skills and knowledge applicable to the entire role of a Pool Lifeguard, the PLPC can be undertaken as part of a National Certificate in Aquatics Level 3. If you are interested in this option contact Skills Active on 0508 475 4557.

Click here for the National Certificate in Aquatics Level 3 flier 

 USEFUL FORMS

• PLSA Enrolment Form
• PLPC Enrolment Form
• PLPC revalidation Reporting Form

All workbooks and Toolkits are available from Skills Active.  Please contact them on 0508 475 4557 or go to their website http://www.skillsactive.org.nz/ for further information.