Engineers Australia has launched a suite of micro-credentials on construction engineering skills to address the current skills shortage in Australia’s infrastructure sector.
Engineers Australia Chief Engineer, Jane MacMaster, said that engineering is critical to the health of our nation’s construction industry and addressing the skills shortage through targeted action is one of Engineers Australia’s highest priorities.
“Micro-credentials aren’t just a training course – they are highly-targeted tools that develop and certify new skills or certify existing skills, to industry standards of practice,” Ms MacMaster said.
The suite of micro-credentials follow-on from the benchmarking of skills and competency by Engineers Australia and the Australian Constructors Association, the Construction Engineering Learning & Development Guide (CELDG), and target the highest priority skill demands in the sector.
The suite focuses on skills outlined in the CELDG for Project Engineers:
- Construction Contract Management – Develops and assesses capability to understand construction contracts including commercial principles, rights, obligations and appropriate use of clauses, and the ability to scope subcontractor procurement
- Managing Project Costs – Develops and assesses capability to manage and track project budgets and costs as well as communicate budgets and work packages to construction crews
- Managing Project Schedule – Develops and assesses capability to develop and oversee construction project schedules including determining the critical path and understanding the commercial impact of change
- Managing Tenders and Bids – Develops and assesses capability to prepare, evaluate and coordinate construction project tenders, and contribute to tender or bidding processes
The program is also relevant for construction professionals, providing recognition for their on-the-job skills development, and Site Engineers looking to progress to the next stage of their career.
