Industry-first construction engineering guide launched

The Australian Constructors Association and Engineers Australia have joined hands in developing what both claim to be an industry-first set of training and development guidelines for construction engineers, outlining competencies and requirements of engineers on job sites.

The Construction Engineering Learning and Development Guide has been designed to help create a pathway to recognise construction engineers globally in their area of expertise.

The 45-page guide clearly outlines the tasks required of engineers on construction sites across all skill levels, from graduate engineers all the way to project managers.

It also highlights skillsets and qualities each role need to possess in order to carry out their work successfully.

Australian Constructors Association CEO, Jon Davies, said the guidelines will provide clarity on career pathways for engineers in the construction sector.

“This is not only critical to retain engineers already working in the industry but to also attract a more diverse range of people to join,” Davies said.

 “We encourage industry to incorporate these competencies into their current learning and development frameworks to improve consistency of skills across the sector.”

Engineers Australia CEO, Dr Bronwyn Evans, said a sustainable construction industry is heavily reliant on the skills of its workforce and the new guide sets a high industry benchmark.

“In Australia and across the globe, governments are relying heavily on the construction industry to rebuild economies, yet capacity and capability constraints represent a real risk to the successful delivery of a record pipeline of infrastructure projects,” Dr Evans said.

“The Construction Engineering Learning and Development Guide has been developed to align with the Engineers Australia Chartered Elements of Competence and complement existing organisational learning and development pathways.

“Ultimately, this sets the foundations for a new Construction Area of Practice for global recognition of construction engineers.”

The guide is now available here.