Your association | PPC96 August 2019

What does championing professionalism in pest management look like today?

These groups are posing some huge questions with no easy answers. Many members are working to help answer them and, ultimately, they are the ones championing professionalism in pest management.

Group findings will be fed back to the BPCA Executive Board and, based on its recommendations, BPCA will act to help progress professionalism in the sector.

Group 1 - Trade or profession?

Led by Julia Pittman, this group aims to consider whether pest management is a trade or a profession or both.

They’re considering:

• What is the definition of a trade?
• What is the definition of a profession?
• Where does pest management fit currently?
• How do we want pest management to be viewed in the future?
• Where does each role already present in the industry fit with either of these definitions?
• How might someone move up from one to the other? 

Group 2 - Qualifications to practice

Led by Mike Ayers, the group aims to consider what should be the minimum level to practice independently. 

• RSPH Level 2 Award in Pest Management seems almost universally recognised as an entry level for pest control, but is it sufficient to practice independently?
• Should there be a practical training requirement with an experienced and qualified technician before you’re allowed to go and control or manage pests?
• Do we need some sort of formal qualification or training structure so pest management professionals can ‘move up the ranks’?
• What might new qualifications look like in the future?

Group 3 - Do we need an 'Institute of Pest Management'?

When we think about professionalism, we habitually consider the professionalism of the individual. 

Because BPCA is a membership organisation where companies can be members, the opportunity for formal advancement and recognition of individual professionalism does not yet exist in our professional landscape.

An institute could be the vehicle for the advancement of individuals’ skills, core competencies and personal/professional development.

The main task of this working group, led by Martin Cobbald, is to decide:

• Does the sector need such an organisation?
• What would the Institute look like?
• Where would the Institute sit in the hierarchy of development of individuals?
• What would the role of the Institute be?
• How could the Institute benefit the individual, the industry and end users?

Want your say?

Nothing here is a done deal, and there is still time to get involved.

These groups are only for authorised employees of a member company at the moment.

If you’re from a member company and want to get involved, contact us now, and we’ll put you in touch with the various leads of the working groups.

membership@bpca.org.uk