Why upskill?: examining AQF 5, 6 and 7 level qualifications in construction

The construction industry is extremely important to the Australian economy, as the fourth largest employer with nearly one million employees and contributing [AUD] 61 billion or 12 per cent of [gross domestic product] GDP per annum (ABS, 2011). Despite its economic significance, it has one of the least qualified workforces of all Australian industries. There are significant skill gaps at the higher levels of the [Australian Qualifications Framework] AQF from Diploma level (AQF 5) upwards with less than 10 per cent of the industry possessing a higher education qualification. This is in spite of the fact that over the last decade demand for higher skilled occupations, such as construction managers, has outstripped demand for construction trades (DEEWR, 2010). Movement between the [vocational education and training] VET and [higher education] HE sectors is low. Of all construction students qualifying at AQF 4, less than 11 per cent continue on to higher education and less than one per cent of all VET qualified persons in the construction workforce seek re-entry to university to gain higher level qualifications. A key workforce supply issue is the number of students at these levels and why so few students move from VET studies on to HE studies in building and construction. This paper examines national data in construction education pathways and explores some of the ‘enablers’ that facilitate pathways to mid-level and higher-level qualifications in construction. Through national research in seven Australian tertiary institutions offering construction programs at AQF levels 5-7 and selected student interviews, a number of ‘enablers’ of upskilling were identified. The results indicate that tertiary pathway programs in construction can attract articulating cohorts, but there are critical elements such as learner engagement, confidence, people-rich resources and collaboration that must be present to facilitate successful pathways and ongoing industry upskilling.

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