Diploma of Building and Construction (Building) CPC50220

This qualification is developed for aspiring building professionals, aiming to equip them with essential skills in structural principles, risk and financial management, estimating, and administering building and construction contracts. It's particularly relevant for those who will engage in managing construction work in both residential and commercial building projects.

Graduates of this qualification will find themselves adept in roles that involve selecting contractors, overseeing work quality, and ensuring project compliance within the building industry.

This comprehensive training ensures that graduates are not only proficient in their technical skills but also prioritize safety and regulatory compliance in their professional roles.

If you are already working in the industry, this nationally recognised qualification is a great way to formalise your current experience and climb the career ladder.

This course is designed for building and construction professionals who want to gain skills to manage medium rise construction projects.

Diploma of Building and Construction s is also an ideal way to formalise your current work experience if you are already in the industry but need a qualification to advance.

You will be supported through your study by industry professionals who have years of experience in the Building and Construction Industry.

During this course, you'll learn how to:

• Apply building codes and standards to the construction process for Class 1 and 10 buildings
• Apply building codes and standards to the construction process for Class 2 to 9 Type C buildings
• Apply health and safety precautions on a work site
• Apply building codes and standards to the construction process for Type B construction
• Manage business risk
• Prepare simple building sketches and drawings
• Read and interpret plans and specifications
• Identify and produce estimated costs for building and construction projects
• Prepare and evaluate tender documentation
• Select, prepare and administer a construction contract
• Produce labour and material schedules for ordering
• Apply structural principles to residential and commercial constructions
• Apply structural principles to the construction of buildings up to three storeys
• Administer the legal obligations of a building and construction contractor
• Supervise site communication and administration processes for building and construction projects
• Manage construction work
• Manage environmental management practices and processes in building and construction
• Manage project quality
• Manage project risk
• Supervise the planning of on-site building and construction work
• Select and manage building and construction contractors
• Apply legal requirements to building and construction projects
• Apply site surveys and set-out procedures to building and construction projects
• Lead WHS risk management
• Develop workplace policies and procedures for sustainability
• Manage professional technical and legal reports on building and construction projects
• Monitor costing systems on complex building and construction projects
• Manage building and construction business finances

The duration for the course is maximum 30 months. As a self-paced online course, the time it will take you to complete is flexible and dependent on ability and time available.

Entry Requirements

There are no mandated education entry requirements for this qualification, per the CPC Construction, Plumbing and Services Training Package. There are no mandatory Open Colleges entry requirements. It is also recommended that students: 

• Are 18 years old (note: students under 18 will need permission from a parent or guardian to enrol) 
• Have language, literacy and numeracy skills that ensure the ability to work independently and use own familiar support resources, communicate effectively via email, and identify relevant information from a range of written texts. These skills are equivalent to those that would be required to successfully complete 
• Year 12 or ACSF Level 3, or 
• Certificate III level or higher 
• Have access to a modern computer with video / audio playback capabilities and high-speed internet
• Have access to Microsoft Office or equivalent 
• Have basic computing skills, including ability to make a short video 
• Have access to a digital video recording device to save and upload video/image files to OpenSpace, e.g., mobile phone/smartphone.
•  Intermediate communication and math skills 
•  Problem-solving skills and high attention to detail

Language, Literacy and Numeracy

Have language, literacy and numeracy skills that ensure the ability to work independently and use own familiar support resources, communicate effectively via email, and identify relevant information from a range of written texts. These skills are equivalent to those that would be required to successfully complete: 

• Year 12 or ACSF Level 3, or 
• Certificate III level or higher,
• or 3 years relevant industry experience in a role that requires the use of written documentation and communication.

Physical requirements

• Using construction equipment that requires physical control and coordination.
• Learners need to have a reasonable level of fitness, including the ability to:

 •  stand for long periods

•  use their hands to handle, control or feel objects or tools

•  climb, lift, balance, walk, stoop and handle materials

 •  kneel, crouch, crawl, bend or twist

Environmental Exposure:

•             Airborne particulate matter (such as dust from construction sites).

•             Noise pollution from machinery and construction activities.

•             Potential exposure to hazardous materials (e.g., chemicals used in construction).

•             Varying weather conditions depending on outdoor project work

 Learners will also be required to operate office equipment and resources including CAD, telephone, photocopier, scanner, and printer in a safe environment that includes an ergonomically sound computer workstation.

Tools and equipment required

Students will need to purchase the following equipment as part of their course:

• Kent scale rule NO.63M
• Pencils F and H
• Set squares

 Other items that students may consider but are not required:

• Drawing board
• T square

IT requirements 

• Operating system Microsoft Windows 7 or higher (Windows 10 recommended) 
• Mac OS 10.11 (El Capitan) or higher 

o Note: (Microsoft Office 365 can only guarantee support on the current release of Mac OS, plus two previous versions. Older versions may work but may have issues 

• Processor - 2 GHz or faster, 2-core 
• Memory - 4GB of RAM or higher
• Hard Drive Space - 2 GB free disk space 
• Browser - Chrome is the preferred browser for students
• Software - Acrobat Reader Microsoft Office 2017 or later (including MS Office 365) 

o Note: if using an equivalent office software (such as Open Office or Apple Pages etc), ensure that documents can be formatted correctly and exported to common file formats Audio recording Software (Voice recorder app, Garageband, or Audacity) Video editing software (iMovie, Video Editor app) 

• Internet Connection - DSL, Cable, or Satellite with at least 2mbps upload speed. Note: it is strongly recommended that you have access to the Internet from home. Expecting to access your course from your work internet or a public network like a library or coffee shop may be impractical due to your average weekly study hours. 
• Printer/Scanner - Access to printing/scanning devices or facilities may be required for certain course activities
• Peripherals - Speakers or headset for audio playback. Microphone for audio recording. Webcam or equivalent (such as a smartphone with video recording capability)
• E-Mail Capability - Access to e-mail through an e-mail program or web-based e-mail system (e.g., Gmail, Hotmail, Mail for Android or Mail for iOS apps)

Access to others - this course includes a requirement to record video and/ or audio roleplays. These will require participation by 1-2 other people sourced by you. Learners will need to work with one or two other people to participate in video or audio roleplays. It is the responsibility of the learner to find their own suitable role-play participants.

Role play participants will need to be able to be in the same room as the learner for the purposes of recording the interaction. Role play participants will need to act out scenarios typically found in the aged care and disability care sectors. They will play roles of colleagues and clients with differing circumstances.

Workplacement/ Worksite visit

While there is no mandatory workplacement, it is recommended that any students who are not currently employed at an appropriate workplace find a host organisation to undertake worksite visits.

Students will need to find a Workplace Mentor with an appropriate Host Organisation. An experienced and appropriately qualified Workplace Supervisor can act as a Workplace Mentor. 

A Workplace Mentor provides an opportunity to bridge the gap between studying a course and real world experience. It provides an opportunity to observe workplace environments and use the experience and knowledge of the Workplace Mentor to help complete the assessment activities. It also gives the student the prospect of linking up with others working in the same role. 

While undertaking their training and assessment in industry, the student must abide by the policies and procedures of the workplace. 

The mentor and organisation needs to be able to provide the student with access to equipment and resources necessary to undertake roleplays and projects. Students will need to complete a worksite permission form which will be approved or rejected by the CSM (EM) based on its suitability for the course projects.