Commissioners Information Bulletin 403
Issued: 13 February 2009

Civil Construction - new trade vocations

The Commissioner for Vocational Training, in consultation with the Construction Industry Training Advisory Body, has established the trade vocations of Civil Construction (Design) and Civil Construction (General Operations) and has made Vocational Training Orders (VTOs) for the vocations.

The VTOs contain qualifications from RII06 Resources and Infrastructure Civil Construction Training Package. The qualifications had been aligned to traineeships but have now been converted to apprenticeships.

The VTOs specifiy a number of matters including the terms of training, probationary periods, competency outcomes and courses of study to be undertaken.

The VTOs are at Attachment A.

RII06 Resources and Infrastructure Civil Construction Training Package

The RII06 Resources and Infrastructure Civil Construction Training Package details the sets of competencies required by those employed within the civil construction industry and covers new entrants, (including labour market entrants), operators and managers as well as the existing civil construction sector workforce. The civil construction qualifications at Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma are divided into two streams — General Operations and Design.

Qualifications

For the purpose of the VTOs, apprentices in the NSW civil construction industry can now gain the following qualifications.

Civil Construction (Design)

• RII40306 Certificate IV in Civil Construction Design
• RII50206 Diploma of Civil Construction Design
• RII60206 Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Design Management.

Civil Construction (General Operations)

• RII40106 Certificate IV in Civil Construction Operations
• RII40206 Certificate IV in Civil Construction Supervision
• RII50106 Diploma of Civil Construction Management
• RII60106 Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Management.

The packaging and structure requirements for each qualification are outlined in Attachment B.

Job descriptions

Civil Construction (Design)

Certificate IV in Civil Construction Design apprentices will learn to provide design support for professional engineers. They will perform tasks that involve a broad range of activities, many of which are complex and non-routine. Apprentices will apply the design work instructions and practices to ensure the quantity and quality of the output of others. Apprentices will also assist in developing technical solutions to non-routine problems.

Diploma of Civil Construction Design apprentices will work as designers or design para-professionals, supporting professional engineers. They will perform tasks involving a high level of autonomy and requiring the application of significant judgement in planning and determining the selection of equipment/roles/techniques for themselves and others. They are required to develop site specific work designs to ensure the implementation of the client’s site requirements. They will demonstrate the application of a broad range of technical, managerial, coordination and planning skills.

Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Design Management apprentices will be trained senior civil works designers or para-professional designers, supporting professional engineers. They will perform tasks that are broad, specialised, complex and technical. Apprentices will learn to design complex projects to ensure the implementation of the client’s site requirements. They will apply their theoretical and technical knowledge to help solve technical problems or meet management requirements.

Civil Construction (General Operations)

Certificate IV in Civil Construction Operations apprentices will learn technical specialist tasks involving a broad range of varied activities, most of which can be complex and non-routine.

Certificate IV in Civil Construction Supervision apprentices will learn roles of foreman, site supervisor or works supervisor. They will be responsible for applying the site work instructions and practices to ensure the quantity and quality of the output of others.

Diploma of Civil Construction Management apprentices will work on a single or a group of civil construction sites, performing tasks involving a high level of autonomy and sound judgement. Apprentices will develop site specific work instructions and practices to ensure that site management systems, plans and policies are implemented. Apprentices will apply a broad range of technical, managerial, coordination and planning skills.

Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Management apprentices will learn to be managers, performing tasks that are broad, specialised, complex and technical. Apprentices will establish the site management systems, plans and policies and will be required to apply theoretical and technical knowledge and propose solutions to technical problems or management requirements.

Industrial arrangements

Applications under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001 to establish any apprenticeship or traineeship will not be approved unless the Commissioner for Vocational Training is satisfied that appropriate industrial arrangements are in place.

Industrial arrangements under which Civil Construction apprentices can be employed are listed at Attachment C.

School based apprenticeships

The Construction Industry Training Advisory Body has advised that the qualifications are not suitable for delivery as a school based part-time apprenticeships.

Regulatory arrangements

Industrial equipment

A person who operates or uses industrial equipment including scaffolding, rigging and dogging, cranes and hoists, boiler and pressure equipment, and some types of loadshifting equipment, must either:

• hold a National Certificate of Competency, issued by WorkCover New South Wales for that type of equipment/operation, or
• be a trainee for that type of equipment /operation.

A person in training for the operation of industrial equipment must be at least 17 years of age. Apprentices must also:

• be supervised by a person holding a certificate for that type of equipment/operation, or a suitably qualified person nominated by their employer
• follow the directions of employers and supervisors about their training
• keep a logbook to record their training.

WorkCover New South Wales should be consulted for further information.

Shotfiring

The RII06 Resources and Infrastructure Civil Construction Training Package contains units of competency relating to shotfiring that are drawn from the MNQ03 Extractive Industries Training Package. Persons required to conduct shotfiring in the civil construction sector must be over 18 years of age and either hold a Shotfirer’s Certificate of Competency or a Shotfirer’s permit.

These permits are issued by the NSW Department of Primary Industries. If apprentices are to complete the shotfiring units available as electives for the RII4016 and RII50106 qualifications, they must possess the relevant Shotfirer’s Certificate of Competency or Shotfirer’s Permit before carrying out any shotfiring duties. Completion of these units does not allow them to conduct the firing of any shots in NSW mines.

The Department of Primary Industries (Mineral Resources) should be contacted for further information on telephone (02) 4931 6666.

Learning resources and assessment materials

Support materials to support the BCC03 Civil Construction Training Package can be customised for RII06 Resources and Infrastructure Civil Construction Training Package qualifications.

BCC03 resources are available through Australian Training Products. The only other support materials available are those currently supporting the BCC98 Training Package, the previous version of the BCC03 Training Package.

Availability of Registered Training Organisations

Training organisations registered in New South Wales to deliver training for qualifications from the RII06 Resources and Infrastructure Civil Construction Training Package are listed on National Training Information Service.

In accordance with RII06 Training Package qualification rules, registered training organisations must ensure that the training plans for RII50206 Diploma of Civil Construction Design and RII60206 Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Design Management apprenticeships meet the following requirements:

• units of competency chosen to satisfy the RII50206 Diploma of Civil Construction Design are additional to the units of competency achieved to satisfy the Certificate IV in Civil Construction Design.
• units of competency chosen to satisfy the RII60206 Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Design Management are additional to the units of competency achieved to satisfy the Diploma of Civil Construction Design.

Funding of higher level qualifications

From 1 January 2009, funding of training delivery for diploma and advanced diploma qualifications will be considered on a case by case basis. Submissions for funding must be made to the Department of Education and Training by an Industry Training Advisory Body on behalf of the industry sector/s they represent.

For further information, telephone the Business Services Unit, State Training Services on (02) 9266 8008.

Note - This Commissioner’s Information Bulletin (CIB) wholly supersedes CIB 336 and information about the traineeship vocations of Civil Construction (Design) and Civil Construction (General Operations) in CIB 387.

For any enquiries regarding this CIB, please contact the Vocational Training Tribunal Unit on (02) 9266 8579.

PHILLIP MOORE
Commissioner for Vocational Training