Together with the significant expansion in CPD content now on offer, it is also interesting to see how the delivery of training has changed over recent years.
Previously, engineers would generally attend a seminar or workshop that was held at a remote venue. The only additional benefit of this face-to-face training was that you could possibly interact with the speaker and try to network with other attendees during breaks. This, however, all changed with the arrival of Covid-19.
Globally respected engineering educator and reinforced concrete specialist and Director of ETIA (Engineering Training Institute Australia), Paul Uno, explained: “With the onset of Covid-19, “Isolation” was the key phrase. You could not mingle with other people, nor gather in closed rooms as previously has been the case in training workshops and at conferences.”
“Thankfully, there was at least a solution to this challenge in the form of Live Streaming, using media tools, and within a matter of weeks we had changed our method of course delivery, with all ETIA courses being conducted via Zoom.”
“As was the case for most activities that were forced to ‘pivot’ to an online model, when we first moved to online learning, many of the course attendees would ask us when our courses would revert back to face-to-face teaching,” Paul said. “And our answer was always “…when the medical experts advise that it is safe to do so”.
“However, as we all saw, various strains of Covid came and went, and before we knew it two years had transpired before we could once again start advertising face-to-face courses or hybrid courses, which provide the option of face-to-face attendance or live streaming via Zoom for those who prefer remote learning.”
“Interestingly, while there was initially a strong desire by many to get back to face-to-face learning, these days we’re finding that the majority of engineers registering for our courses tell us they prefer remote learning via Zoom over both face-to-face or hybrid learning,” he added. “It would appear that being in your own space, saving travel time and associated expenses – while still gaining the all-important CPD points – has become an attractive alternative to attending in person.”
“Importantly, one major advantage of attending ETIA courses via Zoom is that they are ‘Live Streamed’ (not pre-recorded), and as such, are fully interactive with participants able to ask questions via audio or Chatbox,” Paul said.
“At ETIA we will still offer the occasional face-to-face course, however, Zoom live streaming courses will now form the majority of the courses we run in order to satisfy the preference of registrants. Covid thus changed our lives in many more ways than we could ever have envisaged,” he concluded.
ETIA offers over 40 course topics for engineering personnel. For full details visit: www.etia.net.au