Careers in Construction Incolink
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VICTORIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CAREERS GUIDE Careers in Construction ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This latest edition of Incolink’s ‘Victorian Building and Construction Industry Careers Guide - Careers in Construction’ has been prepared by Jim Johnstone, David Clark, Khan Churchill and the Incolink Member Services Department. This edition is an extract from the original ‘Careers in Construction’ specifically designed for school leavers. The Guide brings together and distils information from numerous sources in the building and construction industry and education and training sectors, and is the result of cooperation and contributions from numerous individuals and organisations. Particular thanks go to: Mr Dan O’Brien – Chief Executive Officer, Incolink Mr Tommy Watson – Incolink Independent Chairman The Incolink Board of Directors Mr Brian Boyd – Immediate past Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC) and Convenor of the Building Industry Group of Unions (BIG). Mr Hedley Davis – Immediate Past President of the Master Builders Association of Victoria (MBAV), National Board of the Master Builders Association (MBA). Mr David Eynon – Executive Director of the Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors’ Association (AMCA) of Australia. Mr Bill Oliver – Representative for the Construction and General Division of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) Victorian Branch. Mr Michael O’Neill – Director of Teachers Mutual Bank, Western Region Health Centre, Emersion Software Systems and Gymnastics Victoria. Mr Earl Setches – National Secretary, of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (Plumbing Division) (CEPU). Mr Elias Spernovasilis – Assistant Secretary, Construction and General Division of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) Victorian Branch. Mr Brian Welch – Immediate Past Executive Director of the Master Builders Association of Victoria (MBAV). Mr Robert Whitwell – Managing Director, Whitwell Group, trading as Project Development Consultants; Past President of the Master Builders Association of Victoria. Organisations as diverse as the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia, the Master Builders Association of Victoria, the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority, the Victorian Trades Hall Council, the Australian Red Cross, Holmesglen Institute of TAFE and Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE have contributed to the information contained in the Guide. The authors’ thanks go to these along with many other individuals and organisations who assisted in the provision of information. Editorial Services are from Laburnum Communications. Design and Printing through Kandooit Creatively. IMPORTANT Please note that while every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in the guide at the time of publishing, it does not purport to contain all the information that may be relevant to the matters contained in it, and the information provided is provided as a matter of interest only. Readers should act in reliance of the information in this book and should check the accuracy, reliability and completeness of any information and if necessary obtain independent and specific advice before acting. COPYRIGHT This work is copyright and apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior permission from Incolink © 2014 VICTORIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CAREERS GUIDE Careers in Construction Contents Chapter 1: So you want to work in the building industry? 4 Building and Construction Industry Streams 7 What are my career opportunities? 8 Getting started 12 Where can a career in the industry take you? 14 Chapter 2: The search for work 15 The Job Search folder 16 1. Your resume 16 2. Where to look for work 19 3. Job applications 21 4. Interviews 25 5. Government assistance available 26 Chapter 3: Apprenticeships 28 How do I become an apprentice? 29 How do I find an employer? 30 The difference between an Apprenticeship and a Traineeship 32 Chapter 4: Jobs and Career Pathways 33 Occupational list 34 Job descriptions 35 Chapter 5: How training is organised 80 Registered Training Organisations (RTO) 81 Group Training Organisations 81 Apprenticeships 82 User Choice 82 VET in schools 82 VCE VET Building and Construction 84 School-Based Apprenticeships 85 Trade Unions 86 Chapter 6: Training Courses 87 Preparatory Courses 90 Courses for Skilled Jobs 100 Courses for Para-Professional Jobs 112 Chapter 7: Industry Contact Details 119 Industry Organisations 120 Apprenticeship Information 144 Government Agencies 151 Group Training Companies Victoria 159 CHAPTER So you want to work in the building and construction industry... 4 Incolink Careers in Construction Guide The building and construction industry is one of the most important industries in Australia. It provides us with the places we live in, shop, work, or go for entertainment or medical attention. It is also responsible for our roads, railways, airports and other transport infrastructure. It is considered a key economic indicator, particularly as it is one of the largest employers in the country, with more than 1,000,000 people employed Australia-wide doing a huge number of different jobs. In fact, there are more than 70 different careers available – from designing buildings and bridges, engineering and project management, right through to carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing and surveying. Victoria is a mirror of the national situation, with almost 250,000 people directly employed in a wide range of professional, trade and skilled occupations in the industry. Building and construction has unique characteristics, such as: • The huge range of occupations involved; • The project-based nature of the work; • The mobility of the workforce; • The small business structure and orientation; • Its vulnerability in terms of the economic business cycle; and • Frequent industry restructuring and technological innovation. Incolink Careers in Construction 5 Chapter 1 Working in the construction industry can mean working for large or small employers, or establishing your own business. You can be a skilled construction worker, a skilled tradesperson, a technician or a manager in a professional role. You can also build on your skills and experience and progress to other jobs within the industry if you wish. Everyone in the community has an interest in, or is affected by, the building and construction industry, whether they work in it or not. The Australian construction industry contains two major sectors – Building and Civil Construction. Building includes a wide range of structures such as housing, offices, factories, shops, hotels, hospitals, schools, churches and entertainment buildings. Civil Construction includes roads, bridges, railways, harbours, water service, sewerage, electricity, telecommunications and heavy industry installations. The building process – which includes the design, construction and maintenance of buildings, management of properties, development of government and corporate policies, the administration of regulations, the development of building systems and building project research – is constantly changing. 6 Incolink Careers in Construction Guide Building and Construction Industry Streams Construction work activities are grouped into four broad areas, or streams, which relate to the various stages of a construction project: The Civil Operations stream includes the use of earthmoving plant and equipment which might be used to prepare foundations for a building’s construction or to build roadways. The Services stream involves the running of electrical and electronic, plumbing, fire protection and air conditioning services through a building. The General Construction stream involves building the superstructure of a building and fitting out and finishing it off. The Off-Site stream recognises the many building activities that occur away from the construction site, such as the development of prefabricated building components (tilt slabs) or door and window joineries. Incolink Careers in Construction Guide 7 Chapter 1 What are my career opportunities? It is possible to enter the industry at a number of different levels, involving varying degrees of education, training, industrial experience and work skills. And, it is possible to progress along different paths, again with varying degrees of education, training, competencies and skills behind you. There are four main groups of occupations involved in the building and construction industry: 1. Skilled Construction Workers The main way of starting out is as a construction labourer or trades assistant (see Chapter 2 for information on finding a job). These occupations can involve working at a variety of sites, so you may need your own transport. The work is mostly outdoors, which means it can be hot, dry and dusty, or cold, wet and muddy. Skilled workers are expected to show initiative and work with a relatively high degree of autonomy and responsibility. Depending on the occupation, the type of work, and the location of the work, conditions of employment are established under a variety of awards, and membership of the relevant union is usually encouraged. Opportunities for formal training in many of the skilled occupations continue to increase (see Chapters 5 & 6). In many areas, training and/or assessment leads to the issuing of Certificates of Competency. Depending on your occupation, you may be required to hold a Certificate of Competency to do your job. In the