ASSOCIATIONS 19
<< Continued from page 17 most notably from Naledi Pandor , Minister of Higher Education , for our efforts on the Centres of Specialisation ( COS ) Project and the Dual System Pilot Project ( DSPP ).
Steve van Zyl
Steve van Zyl , newly appointed technical manager at IOPSA .
industry and for IOPSA ; I look forward to him joining the team in September . He will report directly to Steve Brown .
The cost of one of the consultants we have been using on training projects has grown to R15 000 – R18 000 per month . Due to this , we have decided to employ a permanent member of staff to handle all admin related to training . This is an affirmative action job opportunity . The rest of the team remains the same . Every one of them performs above and beyond expectation . I can honestly say that without them , we certainly wouldn ’ t be in the strong position we are now .
INSURANCE FORUM There has been no significant activity in this period . The next round of meetings is scheduled for September 2018 .
MANUFACTURERS FORUM Interactions continue with the manufacturers forum and are starting to yield results . IOPSA has been given seed capital to begin the Single Label Scheme . In the next few months , we will start to see some real progress on this front .
IOPSA TRAINING PROJECTS It is very heartening to see that so many organisations are now approaching IOPSA to assist in their training objectives . The reason for this is simply that they see the value and know that they will get measurable results . Training projects will continue to be a key focus area for IOPSA in future , as they are critical to the future of our industry , they are important sources of funding , and they raise the brand capital of IOPSA in the market . We have received praise from several quarters ,
IOPSA STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD It is clear to me that going forward , we will need to strengthen the regions . While we have some incredibly dedicated volunteers in place , they all have their own businesses to run and as such , are limited in the time they can give to IOPSA . If we had permanent employees in each region to support the volunteer committees and to perform the required day-to-day tasks , we would achieve far more . Through the inspectorate , we have a possible mechanism for funding this and we will be looking closely at how we can make it a reality as soon as possible .
We need to grow our membership . At 700-odd members , we are not truly representative of the market as a whole . To this end , we need several interventions :
• Depending on the budget for 2019 , reduce membership fees .
• Establish IOPSA regions in all provinces of South Africa , even if these must be subsidised for a time .
• Establishment of sub-regions in provinces where IOPSA ’ s presence is strong .
• Heavy targeting of black plumbers , especially in township areas .
• Large marketing campaigns targeting both plumbers and their customers .
Over the past few years , we have developed several great products , such as App Plumber , LMS App , electronic and print newsletters , a jobs portal , Facebook , and the website . We have never really leveraged the income-generating possibilities of these products . IOPSA needs to further develop alternatives to membership fees as income streams and these products provide an ideal opportunity for IOPSA to earn some marketing income .
In conclusion , IOPSA is in a very good position . The industry as a whole is experiencing very tough conditions and we hope that if we can continue to add real value to our members , we will continue to see growth , even in these tough times . PA www . plumbingafrica . co . za October 2018 Volume 24 I Number 8