Four new national qualifications relating to building design have been proposed by Artibus:
– Certificate IV in Residential Drafting
– Diploma of Building Design
– Advanced Diploma of Building Design
– Graduate Diploma of Building Design
As part of the Artibus’ development process, Design Matters has provided feedback on the proposed qualification and used this opportunity to raise a number of concerns around the proposed introduction of a National Advanced Diploma of Building Design.
Design Matters does not believe the proposed core units capture the underpinning skills and knowledge needed for a graduate. In particular, the subject areas not adequately covered include:
There are only two core units which address the design of buildings and these are limited to Class 2-9 Type A construction.
Many of the building design specific units in the Certificate IV and Diploma are elective units which leaves potential entrants into the Advanced Diploma with varying levels of skills and knowledge, providing no guarantees that they have the background to easily advance into this higher qualification, including areas such as sustainability and energy efficiency.
The Artibus Environmental Scan highlights how consumer demand is ’helping drive the increase in smart and green buildings’ yet this knowledge is not a mandatory part of this
qualification.
Victorian students or interstate students who wish to become a registered building practitioner in Victoria are already being misled (even though written disclaimers are provided) in undertaking the national Diploma of Building Design, with the understanding that they can transition to the Victorian Advanced Diploma of Building Design (Architectural) to then obtain registration in Victoria.
Design Matters commissioned a paper titled “A review of qualifications available to Building Designers in Australia” that was published in March 2015, which concluded that:
If this national Advanced Diploma of Building Design is introduced, this confusion will be even more prevalent given the courses have almost identical qualification names with completely different outcomes.
Our position, as confirmed by industry and educators alike in Victoria, is that the proposed structure will reduce the skills and abilities of our industry practitioners even further than the media and governments are currently promoting. It is disappointing and a concern that we are going backwards by offering lesser qualified graduates than lifting them in a time when it is so clearly needed by our industry.
Similar to the issues we find with Mutual Recognition Act across states, the current proposed standards for a national training and education pathway for Building Designers does not reflect the high standards of skills and training we have worked hard to establish in the Victorian programs and subsequent licensing requirements once graduated.
The above feedback was provided to Artibus as part of a July public consultation. A revised set of qualifications was released in late August for final contribution. Our September submission will be shared in next month’s Intersect.
Design Matters will continue to lobby the Victorian Government to support the Victorian Advanced Diploma of Building Design (Architectural) to ensure that registration and scope of services currently available to Victorian building designers continue into the future at the high level and calibre it is today.