CUA13 is firming up. New training package in formulation

MELBOURNE, MONDAY 28 MAY 2012

What is now the Entertainment Training Package CUE03 is headed towards CUA13, as the  IBSA (Innovation and Skills Australia) review winds through a NPRG (national project reference group) meeting today in Melbourne.

The training package dictates the composition of industry training for some years to come, and sometimes these packages stay in place a lot longer than intended. By way of example, the CUE 03 package was implemented in 2003 – and intended to be replaced within five years.

Some changes are coming. There is currently a push within the NPRG to abolish the Advanced Diploma of Stage Management, in favor of new Certificate IV and Diploma qualifications instead. This despite WAAPA (Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts) and Tafe SA protesting that they already deliver the Advanced Diploma. The NPRG feel that the new proposed Advanced Diploma of Entertainment Production Services can contain a stage management specialty. Rhyl McFarlane from WAAPA told the NPRG that industry expectation and employment outcomes are better served by retaining a specific Stage Management Advanced Diploma.

The review proposes to replace and remove existing qualifications, and has mandated a Construction Industry induction unit for all levels of qualification, in the absence of any meaningful entertainment technical safety induction unit.

There was a push within the NPRG to water down OH&S with just one unit for Certificate III and one for Certificate IV, but agreement appears to have been reached to include two OH&S units within the core unit list.

A new Diploma of Production Design is proposed, which has some exciting packaging options including lighting design, realization, and the same for vision systems.

The final draft package will be placed in front of the industry for review in July.