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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Hi,<br>
In an effort to preserve message threads, I have cut and pasted
Hanlie's issue directly into Gavin's thread.<br>
My comments (bottom-posted below) refer to Hanlie's plight, and
not to Gavin's post regarding "call for Professional
registration", on which I have a softer viewpoint.<br>
<br>
<br>
On 2014/01/16 10:51, Gavin Fleming wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:52D79D76.1040705@afrispatial.co.za"
type="cite">Hi all
<br>
<br>
I'm at the GISSA national council meeting and professional
registration is under discussion.
<br>
<br>
The message: take professional registration seriously and get
registered, no matter what area of GIS you practice in. Ultimately
it will become illegal to do paid GIS work without being
registered...
<br>
<br>
For the Government FOSS policy to happen then, it means that all
we FOSS GIS advocates must ensure we're registered so we're not
excluded from government work. Professional registration is
already required for government tenders and posts.
<br>
<br>
For those of you with fifteen years experience up to Dec 2012, the
Grandfather clause for Professional GISc Practitioner is opening
up again shortly - take this opportunity. Don't ask me for
details, keep watching GISSA, PLATO, PositionIT, etc.
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2014/01/17 09:07, Hanlie Pretorius
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAFpCUPozVLCDEZJdLUjv9W6oJfU4-tVcA5nphjKKb+G-TL60tg@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">I would love to register because of the reasons you mentioned, not
because I believe in the process. But I don't have a full time job and
I don't have a mentor. I wonder how many people have the kind of job
that provides all of the topics to be able to register?
In my opinion South Africa doing its best to become a nanny state with
all of the disadvantages and none of the advantages.
</pre>
</blockquote>
Hi Hanlie and list.<br>
I would like to clarify a few things about PLATO registration.<br>
Please take note that whilst I have some experience in the PLATO
academic model and the registration process, <u>I do NOT speak for
PLATO</u> - direct questions (as opposed to discussions) need to
be sent to The Registrar at <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:plato@icon.co.za">plato@icon.co.za</a><br>
<br>
Aside from special situations like the Grandfather Clause, there are
basically two ways to get registered:<br>
<ol>
<li>Study a specific PLATO accredited course at a PLATO accredited
learning institution</li>
<li>Study relevant courses at any other learning institution and
if you feel that they match the PLATO academic model, apply for
registration accordingly.</li>
</ol>
Regardless of which academic route you took, once qualified (in fact
even before you are qualified), you need to register in the specific
category as an "In Training" candidate.<br>
After you have qualified, you need to go through a WIL ("Work
integrated Learning") period, which is where you need a mentor.<br>
For those who qualified some time back, they can submit their
registration application with the WIL form already filled in and
signed off, and bypass the "In Training" phase.<br>
<br>
If strict PLATO rules are applied, you mentor needs to have been
PLATO registered in a suitable category for 5 years before they can
mentor anyone. Because the Grandfather clause needs some 15 years
experience, Professionals registered via this clause are (obviously)
deemed to have >5 years experience, so can act as mentors.<br>
Furthermore it is acknowledged that the GISc category is newish, and
for those applying for registration as per (2) above, they can put
forward a (suitable) non-PLATO registered professional as their
mentor. Such mentors need to be "approved" by PLATO. Applicants that
apply via (2) above also sometimes find that their superiors are no
longer traceable (emigrated etc) and cases can be built to support
their WIL claims without that mentor's signature.<br>
<br>
Now, back to Hanlie:<br>
It is applications via 2 above, that I wish to bring to everyone's
attention.<br>
<br>
Start by going to <a
href="http://www.plato.org.za/4regnotestrain.php">http://www.plato.org.za/4regnotestrain.php</a>
and clicking on the GISc tab. If relevant, use one of the categories
above the "In Training" link before clicking the GISc tab.<br>
Download the wealth of documents there - especially the "GIS Self
Assessment Tool"<br>
This is a new tool, so please be constructive if you have trouble
using it.<br>
<br>
Take note of its contents in the definitions tab of the tool
spreadsheet. This is the Academic model needed for registration.<br>
Obtain a transcript of the courses you have studied.<br>
<br>
In order to fill in the self assessment fields on the "Application"
sheet, you will need to look at the content of your courses passed,
vs the content of this PLATO academic model. You will then find that
your undergrad and honours degrees play a role in that you apportion
the credits in the appropriate PLATO categories. <br>
<b>Be careful not to use credits more than once:</b><br>
ie GIS 101 may be 16 credits but the topics covered in this GIS101
are listed in the PLATO Maths, Physics and GIS sections - you must
then apportion the 16 credits (and no more) accordingly to the PLATO
categories.<br>
<b>Be careful not to use credits that are not relevant, in the wrong
PLATO knowledge area:</b><br>
GIS 102 is 20 credits, but covers topics like algebra,
electromagnetic waves, and why plants survive in different climates
- this last "plant" section has nothing to do with the PLATO
academic model, which means you should downgrade the original 20
credits of this GIS102 as only being (say) 16 credits towards PLATO
- Note that these 4 downgraded credits are filled in under "Further
time for electives" (as are other courses you did, that turn out to
be non-PLATO relevant.)<br>
<b>Thesis</b><br>
This is <u>mostly</u> handled under "Category Specific Research
Project. "<br>
If however you find that you are (very) slightly short in some of
the knowledge areas, and you "self taught" yourself those skills <u>because
you needed them to do your thesis</u>, you may allocate some
credits away from your thesis to those shortfalls - but you MUST
make this clear to to PLATO that you are using "thesis credits" in
these areas, and you must provide substantiating evidence that you
had to use those skills in your thesis.<br>
<br>
Along with your submission you must provide support for what you
claim - eg: Courses passed, course transcripts used for your credit
allocations, and whatever else you think will make the PLATO
assessor's life simpler in understanding how you completed your self
assessment.<br>
<br>
Also take a good look at the WIL (Work Integrated Learning - your
"articles") - If you are not fresh out of Varsity, make sure you
have covered the WIL ground needed. If not, you will be headed for
an "in Training" registration. If your WIL is complete and signed
off, you might just be headed for a Law Exam and a 3000 word essay
on "Professionalism and Ethics".<br>
<br>
The aim of my post is to encourage you all to see how close you are
to attaining some form of PLATO (actually, pretty soon, SAGC)
registration, and to debunk some myths about mentorship and WIL.<br>
<br>
If I have made any errors in my text above, please accept my upfront
apologies - but above all, I do not speak for PLATO, and my post is
to encourage you to try anyway, via a self assessment.<br>
<br>
HTH,<br>
Zoltan<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
===========================================
Zoltan Szecsei PrGISc [PGP0031]
Geograph (Pty) Ltd.
GIS and Photogrammetric Service
P.O. Box 7, Muizenberg 7950, South Africa.
65 Main Road, Muizenberg 7945
Western Cape, South Africa.
34° 6'16.35"S 18°28'5.62"E
Tel: +27-21-7884897 Mobile: +27-83-6004028
Fax: +27-86-6115323 <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.geograph.co.za">www.geograph.co.za</a>
===========================================</pre>
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