Changes to the Construction Industry Training Package
Daniel Wurm | 02 Sep 2019
The training package for the construction and building industry is undergoing a major overhaul. Every single qualification is being updated, a process that has taken several years.
The consultation process is being managed by Artibus Innovation, and each qualification goes through a process of industry validation and quality assurance.
There have been major changes to the packaging rules of all qualifications, including an increase in the number of units required for the Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building) and the Diploma of Building and Construction (Building). There have also been title changes to units of competency to replace reference to low and medium rise buildings which are used differently in different jurisdictions, with National Construction Code (NCC) building classifications or storeys.
Sustainability Training Now Standard
In particular you will notice several new core subjects in the building qualifications. CPCCBC4021 Minimise waste on the building and construction site and CPCCBC4014 Prepare simple building sketches and drawings will be core subjects in Certificate IV in Building and Construction and it is proposed that CPCSUS4002 Use building science principles to construct energy efficient buildings will become one of 6 electives that will be required for this qualification.
In CPC50210 Diploma of Building and Construction (Building) there is a huge increase in the number of core units, and CPCCBC5011 Manage environmental management practices and processes in building and construction has been added as a core.
It's great to see that sustainability is no longer being treated as an 'add-on', but as standard practice.
Changes to Trade Training
Most trade qualifications have also been updated to reflect new technologies.
CPC30219 Certificate III in Carpentry has split the carpentry trade into three streams;
• Carpenter – Commercial
• Carpenter – Formwork
• Carpenter – Residential
The requirement from the existing Certificate III in Carpentry for 22 core and 8 elective units has been retained, but the new qualification requires that those electives include a complete specialisation-commercial, formwork or residential.
Once the new qualifications are released, all Registered Training Organisations and TAFEs will have 12 months to transition their students to the new qualifications. Trainers teaching these courses will need to update their skills and knowledge so that they can teach the new or updated subjects, and colleges need to update all their course material, including resources and assessments. This is a massive project that each college will need to undertake.
Help for RTOs and TAFE
How can teachers and trainers update their skills and knowledge quickly, in preparation for the new subjects? One easy way is by completing any needed gap training or upskilling by using the Green Building Institute's e-learning system. GBI has partnered with Edubytes and Foundation Training Australia to offer fast and efficient training in the new subjects. Trainers can simply log-in, enrol and get training using the state-of-the-art e-learning system which has been purpose built for the building industry.
Where can TAFEs and Registered Training Organisations get high quality resources for training their students? The great news is that the Green Building Institute, in partnership with EduBytes, Ammonite Resources, Boss Donkey, and NIPD have created up-to-date high quality resources for many trades and building courses, including most of the new subjects.
For example, resources and assessment for the unit CPCSUS4002 Use building science principles to construct energy efficient buildings were created by GBI through a grant from the NSW Department of Environment and Heritage for the COAG backed Cross Industry Skills Project. The resources feature dozens of videos, downloads and activities on the latest building science information and techniques. The unit CPCCBC4021 Minimise waste on the building and construction site also features over a dozen multi-media lessons on waste management and includes building waste management plans. Using these resources will save colleges hundreds of thousands of dollars in development costs.
RTOs and TAFEs who would like access to the resources, or would like to use the system to gap train their building faculty staff should contact Green Building Institute to trial the award-winning system and discuss their options.
Author: Daniel Wurm is Managing Director of the Green Building Institute, and a qualified instructional designer and trainer for the building and construction industry. In 2015 he won the NSW Trainer of the Year in Sydney.