Free access to compulsory construction course

With the NSW construction industry halted due to COVID-19, Standards Australia has provided temporary free access to a mandatory construction course.

The decision was made in partnership with the NSW Office of the Building Commissioner and TAFE NSW, with those in the industry now able to freely access the e-learning module ‘The value of Australian Standards’.

The module provides an overview of Australia’s building and plumbing regulatory framework; Standards Australia’s responsibilities to the NSW Government and the National Construction Code; how and why standards are used in construction; and the implications of not adhering to relevant standards. Participants will also get insight into standards development and the different types of existing standards.

Once enrolled, participants will have six months to access the two-hour online course and obtain a certificate upon completing the assessment quiz.

The course was created late last year through a partnership with Standards Australia, the NSW Office of the Building Commissioner and TAFE NSW. The launch of the module represents an in-depth resource on construction standards and where they sit in Australia’s regulatory framework. Until 1 July 2021, the module was voluntary; however, when NSW Fair Trading introduced residential building industry reforms, it became mandatory for Design and Building Practitioners prior to registration.

“This is a challenging time for the NSW construction industry. We are committed to providing access to this module so that industry professionals can have the opportunity to understand standardisation and its impact on the safety of our community,” said Adrian O’Connell, Chief Executive Officer of Standards Australia.

“In order to show our support of the construction industry during this challenging time, we have decided to provide free access to this online module.”

“With tools temporarily down, now is a great time for construction professionals to develop new skills from the comfort of their homes,” said David Chandler, NSW Building Commissioner at the NSW Department of Customer Service.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Arpad Nagy-Bagoly