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The NSW government is considering recommended improvements to property industry training, with the proposed reforms expected to be announced before the end of the year.
In 2015, an independent panel of industry experts was commissioned to review and consult on training standards for NSW licence-holders in the property industry.
The independent panel’s recommendations were detailed in a final report released in June: A review of training for licensed occupations in the NSW property services industry.
Its key recommendation is to increase the entry requirements for certificate-holders, as supervision in the industry is “either poor or absent”.
This comes after REINSW president John Cunningham said that the education and training standards for the real estate profession are “inadequate” and that “it actually requires more training to become a barista than a real estate agent”.
The report recognised that ongoing discussion is needed between industry and government to better fulfil these supervisory obligations, but called for more comprehensive training for certificate-holders in the interim.
“One of the key weaknesses identified in the current training provided by registered training organisations servicing the property sector is the lack of a clear connection between the skills delivered in off-the-job settings and the practical application of those skills in real work environments,” the report said.
To remedy this, an open-ended period of practical experience has been recommended by the panel to be integrated into industry training, during which skills can be applied and demonstrated in the workplace.
The practical experience would be consistent with competency-based training principles, and would allow a trainee to obtain evidence of attaining practical skills.
It is expected that the proposed reforms to property industry training standards will be announced before the end of 2016.
“These changes will take time to implement and may not deliver immediate benefits, but will lay a foundation for ongoing reform of this industry,” the report said.
Click here to view the full report.
[Related: It requires more training to become a barista than an agent]
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