As part of a commitment to supporting Australia’s accredited laboratories, NATA recently delivered a series of free industry training sessions tailored specifically for Queensland’s construction materials testing (CMT) sector.
These sessions were made possible through funds assigned to NATA by the former Association of Geotechnical Testing Authorities (AGTA), which represented Queensland’s construction materials testing industry for over 25 years before ceasing operations. NATA chose to invest these funds directly back into the industry by offering no-cost training opportunities to build capability across the state’s accredited CMT laboratories.
Delivered by NATA Education, the full-day training sessions were held in Cairns, Brisbane, and Rockhampton, with content designed for emerging technical leaders within the CMT community. The course, Internal Auditing for Construction Materials Testing, was specifically customised with CMT examples and concepts to make it directly applicable to participants’ daily work and industry challenges.
Internal audits are one of the most powerful tools a laboratory can use to verify that staff are continuing to perform tests correctly, that reports meet all relevant requirements, and that systems are consistently producing reliable, traceable, and credible results – long before any external assessment occurs.
Participation in the training was strong, with nearly 30 accredited facilities represented across the sessions. NATA received very positive feedback from attendees, many of whom valued the chance to build confidence in their auditing approach, share experiences with peers, and develop new technical leadership skills.
We thank all those who attended for their enthusiastic participation and extend our appreciation to the broader CMT community for helping make these events a success. With this initiative, NATA continues its focus on building capability, strengthening technical integrity, and investing in the next generation of leaders within the accreditation system.
Congratulations to all!