Swimming pool training facility breaks new ground
On April 28, pool care franchise network PoolWerx unveiled a $250,000 specialist pool and spa technical and retail training centre in Brisbane.
PoolWerx says this facility is one-of-a-kind and will provide an excellent environment for world class practical and theoretical training in pool and spa maintenance and retailing.
The centre was officially opened by Federal MP Teresa Gambaro.
The opening coincided with the announcement of PoolWerx’s successful application for new Queensland Government User Choice Funding to train more than 100 Queensland pool technicians in the Certificate III in Swimming Pool and Spa Service from July 1.
The 100m² facility provides a unique 360-degree view of commercial and domestic equipment installations including two working full-size pools and a spa. It also contains a retail store that allows participants to be trained in sales techniques, merchandising and POS management.
PoolWerx CEO John O’Brien says the training centre was a critical step in improving national pool and spa care standards.
“Despite more than 10,000 operators in the pool and spa care industry, many are untrained and unqualified because there has never been a qualification recognising their expertise and professional skills until now,” says O’Brien.
“Our network alone represents more than 10 per cent of pool and spa care operators in Australia, so we’ve been an instrumental driver in the development of the Certificate III and Certificate IV in Swimming Pool and Spa Service qualifications.
“We now have an advanced training centre that gives us a significant boost to enhance the delivery of these courses to our network by providing a greater depth and breadth of hands-on training.”
O’Brien says that this means people who enter the pool and spa care industry through PoolWerx will receive the best training on offer and receive a nationally recognised certificate giving them a boost at the start of their journey.
While there are no legislative requirements to hold a certificate yet, O’Brien says PoolWerx was working towards establishing minimum industry skill standards and licensing requirements for operators.
“What we’re aiming for is highly skilled and more experienced pool and spa technicians working in the industry for longer and improvements in overall provision of services to pool owners.”
A large number of industry representatives, swim safety ambassador Laurie Lawrence, State MP Saxon Rice and the SPASA Qld CEO Adrian Hart were present at the launch.
The facility was supported by a number of industry suppliers including Aquarius, AstralPool, Hayward, SignRight, D&D Technology, International Quadratics, Vendart, Zodiac, Abgal, Newline Products, Spa Electrics and Sunbather Technologies.
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