Melbourne Polytechnic has launched a new training course aimed at strengthening manufacturing-focused skills in the construction sector, as industry seeks wider adoption of modern methods of construction (MMC) to help address housing supply and productivity challenges.
The institution’s Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence announced the free online microcredential, Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) Essentials, describing it as a response to an industry-identified workforce skills gap that has been cited as a barrier to broader uptake of MMC.
DfMA is a design approach that incorporates manufacturing, transport, assembly and construction considerations from the earliest stages of a project. According to Melbourne Polytechnic, the methodology can help improve productivity, reduce waste and support more efficient project delivery.
Federal Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles said the course reflected the role of the national network of TAFE Centres of Excellence in addressing workforce and productivity challenges.
“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.
He said the Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence was helping develop “a modernised national construction workforce to build the homes Australians need” through industry-led training and collaboration.
Victorian Minister for Skills and TAFE Colin Brooks said demand for skilled workers would continue to grow as governments pursue housing targets.
“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,” Brooks said.
He said the Centre was providing practical, industry-led training to support workforce growth and help the training system adapt to the changing needs of the housing and construction sector.
Melbourne Polytechnic chief executive Frances Coppolillo said the new course demonstrated the Centre’s role as an industry-led hub for skills development.
“Industry told us that design for manufacture and assembly capability was critical to supporting wider adoption of modern methods of construction, and this course is a direct response to that feedback,” Coppolillo said.
“One of the strengths of the Centre is its ability to work with industry partners to rapidly design and deliver new training that addresses real workforce challenges and supports the future of housing construction in Australia.”
Industry body prefabAUS welcomed the initiative, with executive chairman Damien Crough describing DfMA capability as essential to unlocking the 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 course is the third offering in the Centre’s national training program and was developed in collaboration with industry experts, including prefabAUS. Melbourne Polytechnic said the two-hour online course is designed for construction professionals, businesses and people entering the industry who want to better understand the design principles underpinning successful MMC projects.
Enrolments for the free course are now open.
