Melbourne Polytechnic’s Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence (the Centre) has introduced a new, free micro-credential, to promote the widespread adoption of Modern Methods of Contruction (MMC).
The Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA), addresses a critical workforce skills gap identified by industry as a barrier to more widespread adoption of MMC.
DfMA is widely recognised as a foundational capability for organisations seeking to adopt MMC.
It requires project teams to consider manufacturing, transport, assembly and construction requirements from the earliest stages of design, helping improve buildability, increase productivity, reduce waste, and support more efficient project delivery.
As Australia seeks to increase housing supply while improving productivity and sustainability outcomes, strengthening DfMA capability across the workforce is becoming increasingly important, according to the Federal Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles.
"The nationally networked TAFE Centres of Excellence are bringing together industry, TAFEs and other stakeholders to tackle some of Australia's most pressing workforce and productivity challenges,” Giles said.
"Through industry-led training and national collaboration, the Future of Housing Construction TAFE Centre of Excellence is leading the development of a modernised national construction workforce to build the homes Australians need.
"This new course demonstrates how the Centre is responding directly to industry needs and helping to build the workforce needed for the future."
Victorian Minister for Skills and TAFE, Colin Brooks, said Victoria needed more skilled workers to build more homes and TAFE was central to delivering that workforce.
“TAFE is training the next generation of tradies and construction workers who will help us meet our ambitious housing targets, while ensuring they have the skills to work with new and innovative building methods,” he said.
“Modern methods of construction can help us build homes faster, smarter and more efficiently, but we need a workforce with the right capabilities to make that happen.”
The Centre is backed by a joint $50 million investment from the federal and state governments to ensure Australia’s training system keeps pace with the evolving needs of the housing and construction industry.
Damien Crough, executive chair of prefabAUS, said DfMA capability was essential if Australia wanted to unlock the full benefits of MMC.
"One of the biggest barriers to wider adoption of modern methods of construction is that many projects are still being designed using traditional approaches and then adapted for manufacturing later,” Crough said.
"DfMA turns that thinking around. It brings manufacturing, logistics, assembly and construction considerations into the design process from the beginning, resulting in projects that are more efficient, more predictable and easier to deliver.”
The new online DfMA course is the third in the Centre’s national training program.