PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CERT III HELPS WITH IRRIGATION CAREER Michael Wallace works as a senior irrigation installer with TIS in Brisbane where he is involved in installing large commercial and civil irrigation projects such as sporting fields, golf courses and landscaping jobs. These projects can also include installing tanks and pumps and related construction jobs. Michael recently completed his Certificate III in Irrigation Technology, and we spoke with him about his experience of the course and why he decided to enrol. IA. Can you tell us about the course? Michael. I completed the Cert III in Irrigation earlier this year. It involved two weeks in class block sessions to go over the various modules. In these sessions we learnt the basics and practical side of what was to be covered in the modules and assessments. Assessments were done both online through the Irrigation Australia portal and in the field. IA. Have you done any online courses before? Michael. I have done some before but none this large. IA. What was it about the course and the online presentation that you found helped you or contributed to it being a positive experience? Michael. Both the way the modules were set out and great teacher in class made it easy to pick things up and get them to stick. If I didn’t understand at first there was no negative pressure, rather we were able to slowly work through material at our own pace. IA. What was it about the course and the online presentation that you found hardest to adapt to or manage? Michael. There wasn’t anything I found that hard to adapt or manage. It all made sense and flowed very well. IA. How useful will what you learned be in your job? Michael. After years in the industry, it was good to finally get some formal qualifications in my field, which will help me advance into next stage of my career. Everything I learned
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in the course was very helpful, especially the plan side of things. IA. What advice would you give to someone who was tossing up whether to sign up for a course using Irrigation Australia’s virtual classroom? Michael. My only advice would be do it. You won’t find a better organisation to gain your qualifications through, from the time you enquire about the course right up until you get your certificate and beyond. They are there for support and help in any way and the virtual classroom is so easy to use and manage.
