Australia’s largest pool care franchise, Poolwerx, has unveiled a $500,000 world first pool and spa technical and retail training centre at its Global Support Office in Brisbane.
The new facility offers world class practical and theoretical training in technical pool and spa maintenance and retailing, and 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 10,000sqm facility offers a unique 360-degree view of commercial and domestic equipment installations – including two working full-size pools and a spa – and the advanced training centre also contains a retail store that allows participants to be trained in sales techniques, merchandising and POS management, along with a formal business skills training area.
Poolwerx CEO John O’Brien said 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,” he said.
“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.
“It means that from today 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 great boost at the start of their journey.”
While there are no legislative requirements to hold a certificate yet, Mr O’Brien said 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,” he said.
Founder of Kids Alive and swim safety ambassador Laurie Lawrence, State MP Saxon Rice and the Swimming Pool and Spa Association (SPASA) CEO Adrian Hart also attended the launch.
For more information about Poolwerx, please visit the website www.poolwerx.com.au.
