OPD Topics for 2012 AssentTECS Topic Overview
ENROL: http://www.assenttecs.com.au/page/Training_Delivery/Marriage_Celebrant_Training/OPD/
Overview
OPD1-2012 Compulsory Activity (1 hour)
Available face-to-face and distance education
This compulsory ongoing professional development activity is intended to cover the parts of the Form 13 Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) that cause common difficulties for authorised celebrants. Specifically, this activity will focus on proof of date and place of birth and proof of identity requirements; who is eligible to witness the signatures on the NOIM both within Australia and outside Australia; and will briefly touch on the consequences of failing to complete the NOIM correctly. The activity also contains a short case study for authorised celebrants to complete during the OPD session.
OPD2-2012 Happy Endings (2 hours)
Available face-to-face and distance education
Less experienced celebrants
This activity is designed to assist you to review the way you:
• Comply with the Code of Practice
• Confirm ceremony wording has been finalised
• Consider options for endings to suit different situations
• Finalise all arrangements with marrying couples
• Create and use a final check list • Create and finalise contingency plans
• Finalise payment of celebrant’s fee
• Finalise documents/certificates before ceremony
• Manage rehearsals – finalise staging / setting the scene
• Finalise documents after the ceremony
• Depart from the ceremony
• Send completed documents to BDM
• Seek evaluative feedback / provide complaints procedure
• Store records / Dispose unwanted paperwork / Close file
OPD3-2012 Completing Marriage Forms (2 hours)
Available face-to-face and distance education
All celebrants
This activity is designed to assist you review the way you:
• Comply with the Code of Practice • Prepare marriage documents
• NOIM / Form 14 Declarations / Form 15 Certificate of Marriage for parties
• Record keeping (Form 15) / Form 16 Certificate of Marriage (and celebrant’s Marriage Register)
• Commonwealth Statutory Declaration (regarding birth details)
• Statutory Declaration by interpreter
• Form 24 Certificate by Interpreter
• Correct/amend documents
• Ensure marriage documents are signed correctly by parties and witnesses
Check documents before forwarding to BDMs
Dispose of unwanted paperwork
Manage the handling of Form 14A brochure Happily Ever...before and after
Deal with other relevant documents
OPD5-2012 Creating Quality Handouts and Souvenir Copy of the Ceremony (1 hour)
Available face-to-face only
Less experienced celebrants
The aim of this unit is to assist celebrants with ideas for creating high quality, professional, informative and up- to-date resources for couples.
Face-to-face OPD provides celebrants with an opportunity to share ideas and inspiration so that we learn from each other in addition to the guidance and suggestions provided in this textbook.
All activities and discussions contribute to the ongoing development of the continuing high standard of the celebrant’s service in his or her professional conduct and practice.
OPD6-2012 ‘Til Death (or Retirement) Do Us Part (1 hour)
Available face-to-face and distance education
All celebrants
The aim of this professional development topic is to assist marriage celebrants to understand their obligations and legal responsibilities regarding their death or resignation.
The topic outlines:
• the processes and procedures for when a celebrant dies, retires or is unable to function as a celebrant
• how to be prepared and protected to the best of your ability, against unforeseen events
• your obligations to the couple
• how to close down your celebrant business and what is involved
• your legal responsibilities including document security
OPD7-2012 Staging with Class (2 hours)
Available face-to-face only
All celebrants
The aim of this professional development is to assist celebrants from the time they arrive at ceremonies until they leave, regarding:
setting up and staging ceremonies to best effect
the importance of appropriate introductions to their ceremony script, and
departing the ceremony appropriately.
OPD8-2012 Presenting with Class (2 hours)
Available face-to-face and distance education
All celebrants
The aim of this professional development topic is for marriage celebrants to confidently and professionally present themselves and their wedding ceremonies with class, substance and polish befitting a dignified, legally compliant wedding whilst avoiding the common traps that can lower the tone of a wedding.
OPD9-2012 Making a Good Impression (2 hours)
Available face-to-face and distance education
All celebrants
The aims of this topic is to allow celebrants to assess their current place in the celebrant industry – their “moments of truth”. The topic considers how celebrants can:
• Identify and assess their current image
• Create a desired image (for the target audience)
• Establish ‘What is your brand?’
• Create a desired brand
• Examine how people perceive them
• Explore the skills needed to achieve goals
• Create an elevator speech
• Define and deliver your message
• Identify your customers (niche)
• Develop strategies for a niche market / to appeal to that customer
• Be the author of their own identity
• Establish and conduct relationships with targeted groups in a manner which enhances the positive image of celebrant
OPD10-2012 What’s Image Got to Do with It? (2 hours)
Available face-to-face and distance education
Less experienced celebrants
This activity is designed to assist you to review the way you:
• Present a personal image to marrying couples
• Present an image in the community
• Present a professional image with your attire
We will also discuss your:
• Image
• Personality
• Body Language
• Special skills (creative writing etc.)
• Personal website
• Handouts
OPD13-2012 Back to Basics (2 hour)
Available face-to-face and distance education
Less experienced celebrants
This activity is designed for the newer or less experienced celebrants to assist them review and understand the process of a marriage celebrant’s role from beginning to end.
This includes basic procedures from the first inquiry to closing the parties’ file after the marriage.
AssentTECS has taken note of some of the questions that new celebrants ask and aims to clarify as much basic information as possible. Information is set out in step-by-step procedures in a logical manner.
OPD14-2012 Understanding Social Media & Marketing to Gen Y (3 hours)
Available face-to-face and distance education
All celebrants
This is an in-depth professional development activity which will:
- discuss various marketing techniques for different identified generations e.g. Gen Y, Gen X, Baby Boomers
- demystify the population born 1978 – 1994 i.e. 18 yr – 33 yrs old, known as Generation (Gen) Y
- allow celebrants to gain an understanding of ‘Gen Y’ specific communication needs and requirements
- allow celebrants gain knowledge of marketing techniques relevant to ‘Gen Y’
OPD16-2012 eMarriages - Electronic Data Entry (1 hour)
VIC and NSW only
Available face-to-face and distance education
All celebrants
This topic is designed to provide celebrants with a basic knowledge and understanding of how to competently and confidently use on-line marriage registration packages.
This includes:
Developing an understanding of electronic data entry processes and procedures
Achieving competence in data entry for online marriage registration
Understanding practical application to individual work practices
Complying with legal requirements
OPD18-2012 Marrying People from Overseas & Overseas Documents (2 hour)
Available face-to-face and distance education
All celebrants
The aim of this professional development is to assist celebrants to understand the particular care required when marrying people from overseas.
This includes the extra diligence required when sighting overseas documents, knowing that documents not in English are to be translated into English (by a NAATI accredited translator), dealing with language barriers, and working with interpreter requirements.
OPD20-2012 Common Errors and Advice from the BDM (Offered in 2011) (1 hour)
Available face-to-face and distance education
All celebrants
The aim of this professional development activity is to make registered marriage celebrants aware of the various common errors their BDMs have identified when receiving registration documents from celebrants.
BDMs have embraced this opportunity to contribute to this topic in an endeavour to “get the message across”.
Although several BDMs face the same sort of problems, some issues are unique to an individual State BDM.
The issues BDMs have identified are often not found in the Act, Regulations, or Explanatory Material, but are about the “little things”, this topic will clarify some misunderstandings that many celebrants have. The advice from BDMs will also assist in marriages being registered a lot quicker if marriage celebrants carry out the correct procedures once they know what they are doing incorrectly.
OPD21-2012 Celebrant Service Agreement (Offered in 2011) (2 hours)
Available face-to-face and distance education
All celebrants
The aim of this professional development activity is to provide registered celebrants with an opportunity to consider the advantages of:
• Client Service Agreement – advantages of
• What to include / how to set out
• Legal aspects
• What to do if clients do not want to sign an agreement
• In-depth Questions and Answers regarding many aspects of a Client Service Agreement
• Invoicing correctly
• What to include, when to provide to clients – GST
• Fees - (All celebrants want to talk about fees)
• Cannot price-fix (breach of Trade Practices Act)
• No set fee – up to individual celebrants
• Protocols
• Some do’s and don’ts for celebrants
• Opportunity to share feedback from guests and other celebrants – some very interesting,
• learning experiences
• Common courtesy
It is expected that celebrants will be very interested in learning how to draft a Client Service Agreement and to ensure that their invoicing procedures are in accordance with good business practice. Protocols include feedback from both celebrants about other celebrants, and from guests about celebrants. Not all light-hearted, but includes valuable lessons for celebrants.