The latest news from MPL Training, including an update on its now fully digitized pest management courses.
MPL Training has teamed up with eSkilled, Australia’s complete cloud-based registered training organisation (RTO) software solution, allowing MPL to become a fully digital training provider. eSkilled offers a seamlessly integrated student management system, learning management system and RTO materials, making the learning process easier and more efficient.
MPL uses eSkilled together with the Formitize Pest Management App as part of the digital platform to complete workshops and practical assessments. Formitize, a business management software, is used to create a real-life working scenario where students are able to gain an understanding of what it is like if they were to use a digital platform within their own or someone else’s business.
MPL trainers load jobs into Formtize and ask the students to navigate the app to complete risk assessments, pesticide usage forms, proposals, certificates of treatments, and special purpose reports – all the documentation required for reporting purposes.
After completing their documents, students are asked to upload them to eSkilled for marking. This online marking is much quicker for the trainers and, more importantly, for the students, as their qualifications can be sent to them much faster than before.
Following the digitization of learning using the eSkilled platform, there has been nothing but positive feedback from students, MPL staff and trainers. MPL’s training manager, Shane Rich, has been the driving force in making these significant improvements together with assistance from MPL staff.
Following the implementation of the eSkilled platform in January 2025, MPL has held two moderation meetings with its trainers (January in Sydney and April in Brisbane) to make further improvements and ensure that students experience their learning in the most effective way possible. Those improvements have now been implemented, making learning resources straightforward to follow, and the questions easy to understand.
As well as online learning, MPL continues to offer in-person training courses.
“Although we have become completely digitized, MPL still undertakes a face-to-face training component for our General Pest and Timber Pest courses of up to five full days, which includes theory by way of engagement with the trainer,” commented Dr Deling Ma, owner of MPL Training.
“Moving forward, MPL may change this format as we do enrol students who are new to the industry and not working for a pest control company. The change we want to incorporate is theoretical and practical, as this can be more beneficial for students when they start to complete the practical component of the course.
“Whether you are new to the pest control industry, looking for a career change, or working for a pest control business, MPL Training seeks to provide the best experience for all our students. We do this by ensuring our trainers’ professional development meets the ASQA requirements for a trainer/assessor, and by making sure all our trainers know what is new to the industry [main picture, above] so we can include new approaches and information within our training.”
MPL offers its students a chance to get up close to many pest species at their training centres, where they display a number of specimens. At the QLD branch of MPL in Archerfield, an active colony of Mastotermes darwiniensis is maintained for the benefit of students.
In addition to this, MPL has engaged University of Queensland Master’s Degree student, Leo Huang, to pin and frame bug specimens at the facility as part of a move towards exhibiting more specimens in all major training venues, including a new Melbourne training site that is in the works.
Pest managers who are interested in training, or those looking to start their career in the pest control industry, can find out more on the MPL Training website.
