First Assessor Training Course in Adelaide

WIA President, Michael Owen, VK3KI, made the following statement on the VK1WIA broadcast transmitted on Sunday, 28 August:

"By the time this broadcast from VK1WIA goes to air, it will be the second day of our first Assessor Training course conducted in Adelaide at the Unley Senior Citizens Hall, in Arthur Street, Unley. One of the great things about radio amateurs that we have learned, I think once again, is that we are not very good at dealing with paper on time. But it seems that is that at least 10 should attend this first course in Adelaide.

The next course will be the Gold Coast on the weekend of September 10, then in Melbourne over the weekend of September 17 and finally Sydney over the weekend of September 24. In all we have received some 75 applications, heaven knows with how many still to send an application, but really the response is fantastic. Of those 75, some 20 or so have existing current qualifications and will not have to attend the actual training course, but will be able to qualify by satisfying our RTO by other means. Most of these people will become WIA Assessors, but some will become Nominated Assessors.

Frankly, the response is fantastic, and we are seriously in debt to the many people, who have come forward, supporting the move to the accreditation of assessors. Apart from the capital cities, our assessors will come from places right across Australia, and let me read some of the places: Aldinga Beach, Alice Springs, Atherton, Bagnoo, Bendigo, Bundaberg, Churchill, Cobram, Coffs Harbour, Dalby, Darwin, Gold Coast, Harvey Bay, Launceston, Newcastle, Paynesville, Port Macquarie, Rockhampton, Tamborine, Tamworth, Townsville, Wagga, Whyalla and Woodend. And that is only some of them.

On Friday, we placed on the WIA website the last of the syllabi for the new amateur certificates of proficiency, the Advanced syllabus. We believe that while a couple of minor changes may be made to this syllabus, it is for all practical purposes in final form.

Next Monday, I will be overseas on holiday until 8 October. During that time, I will not, for the first time in about 15 years, be travelling with a computer. However, I will check email from time to time.

But, for all things, please contact our secretary, Chris Jones. His email address is secretary@wia.org.au, and his phone is 0412 242 853.

I know I have picked one of the most exciting times in amateur radio to be away, but when the arrangements were made I couldn't guess where we would be now. By the time I am back, well, I believe that our WIA Exam Service will be a very different and very much better service, with the extraordinary people we already have working with our newly qualified assessors, and hopefully working to attract many new amateurs, training them and qualifying them.

Click Here To Return To Previous Page