Prefabricated Building Systems Project

Menu: Click across the green arrows to view active and completed project stages. Consultation takes place at every stage of the project.

Case for change

The skills to implement and manage prefabrication processes and technology for panelised timber building systems was identified as a priority skill area in the 2017 Forest and Wood Products IRC Skills Forecast (see page 47). Skills Impact and the Timber Building Solutions Industry Reference Committee (IRC) will take this project through a process that adheres to the 2012 Standards for Training Package Development.

Download the IRC Skills Forecast (see page 47)

Project Plan

Project Scope

This project will review and update units of competency for timber truss and frame design and manufacture, to reflect emerging industry skill requirements, including prefabrication of panelised building systems, so that all job functions are accurately described.

Scroll down to view the list of units that will be reviewed in this project, and the various skilled activities they cover. New units will also be developed as identified through industry consultation.

The increased development of panelised building systems and changing manufacturing processes, driven by the strong demand in building construction, has resulted in the demand for specific skills to operate Computer Numerical Control (CNC) equipment, use of tools for on-site product installation, management of prefabrication processes and providing advice for regarding product conformance.

Register your interest in the project

Subscribe to the Skills Impact newsletter to keep informed about project updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback. Make sure to select ‘Forestry & Timber’ as your industry of interest on the subscription form.

 

Relevant Occupations

Production supervisors and fabricators in the frame and truss manufacturing sector.

 

Key Deliverables
  1. The review and improvement of three (3) units of competency from the timber truss and frame design and manufacture qualifications to update specific skills and aspects guided by industry consultation.
  2. Development of new units of competency in the FWP Forest and Wood Products Training Package to incorporate skills for using tools, operating technology and implementing processes for prefabricated panelised timber building systems and to conduct on-site installation. The new units will include the use of knowledge to communicate product conformance and solutions for panelised timber building systems.

 

Timeline

November 2017
Initial scoping

December 2017 – January 2018
Development of draft materials

February 2018
Industry consultation of draft materials

March 2018
Industry validation of final drafts

April 2018
Finalisation of training package components

April – May 2018
Independent quality assurance, and edit and equity review of training package components

June 2018
IRC consideration for sign-off and submission for endorsement

Units that will be will be reviewed

Below is a list of the current units that will be reviewed as part of this project. Click on the unit name to view the components on training.gov.au.

New units will also be developed for prefabrication of panelised building systems, as identified through industry consultation.

 

Project Team
Georgiana DaianProject Manager, ForestWorks [email protected]
Michelle ClaytonTraining Package Specialist, ForestWorks [email protected]
Appointed as requiredSkills Development Specialist

 

Technical Experts

A Technical Advisory Committee will be established to provide technical input to the review and development of units, skill sets and qualifications.

If you are interested in applying to be a technical expert and are able to volunteer your time to this project, please email details of your expertise to [email protected]

Development

Initial consultation with a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) was conducted to define the scope of the project. Following this feedback, work has begun on the development of units of competency to address skill needs and gaps that relate to:

  • Design of panelised and/or modular prefabricated timber building systems to meet compliance, off-site prefabrication and on-site installation requirements. The main job outcomes will include detailed and integrated design solutions for prefabricated timber building systems that meet structural and safety compliance and provide specifications for all stages of the system’s life cycle (off-site prefabrication, transportation and on-site installation).

  • Prefabrication of timber building systems off-site to cover the application of higher level production skills including the planning and lean production of assembly work and quality management.
  • Installation of prefabricated timber building systems to address key competencies in relation to safe work practices and use of tools and equipment to accurately position and fix prefabricated timber building systems. Activities require the ability to read and apply detailed design specifications and apply knowledge of materials, prefabrication processes and installation techniques to identify and rectify problems during the on-site installation of prefabricated timber building systems.

The project has discovered that the job roles in the prefabrication of timber building systems are not new, but highly defined as trade and non-trade occupations. Many of the skills and knowledge required in this industry sector for design, prefabrication and installation are already covered by existing units of competency from a range of training packages including property services, furnishing, manufacturing and engineering, forest and wood products and construction (carpentry). However, there are some skills gaps that relate to specific competencies (as outlined above) that enable people to define their capabilities in the prefabrication of timber building systems or perform tasks within the scope of prefabrication processes.

The Timber Building Solutions Industry Reference Committee is awaiting a determination of a request for extension for this project to ensure that emerging technology is included.

 

Technical Experts

A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has been established and includes the following members.

NameOrganisation
Abdul RaufBox Hill Institute of TAFE
Alastair WoodardWood Solutions
Anita DayMultinail
Gregory NolanUniversity of Tasmania
Hans PoradaTAFE NSW Albury
Jason ReintsBliss & Reels
Mihai DaianMargules Groome Consulting
Philip AlvianoMaster Builders Victoria
Stephen BurchardMultinail
Stuart HoxleyChisholm Institute
Stewart Humphreys-GreyBox Hill Institute of TAFE
Stuart MaxwellCFMEU

 

Additional subject matter experts are welcome and invited. If you would like to contribute technical expertise to the project, please email [email protected]

 

Register your interest in the project

Subscribe to the Skills Impact newsletter to keep informed about project updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback. Make sure to select ‘Forestry & Timber’ as your industry of interest on the subscription form.

 

 

Drafts Available

Thank you to all those who provided feedback on the revised units of competency. The drafts were made available on the Skills Impact website for broad stakeholder review from 6 – 27 August 2018.

Feedback was sought on whether the draft documents reflect current industry skills standards, knowledge and practices and whether all job functions are accurately described. Feedback will inform the work on the final drafts which will be available for industry validation in September 2018.

The new units have been developed in conjunction with the Cross Laminated Timber Building Systems Project in the area of design, manufacture and installation of timber building systems. The three existing units of competency have been revised to meet the skill needs of timber building systems while maintaining their suitability for all other users and timber manufacturing sectors.

Summary of consultation

Feedback on the draft documents was collected via the online feedback hub. To view the draft documents, including comments that were made on them from people using the feedback hub, please click on the expandable document menus below.

The draft units have been developed in consultation with a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), made up of workplace experts and industry, with input from their networks also. Due to cross over of many of the skills being reviewed, consultation activities for this project have taken place concurrently with the Cross Laminated Timber Building Systems Project. Box Hill Institute has also been consulted, as they are working on a similar project at the State level, funded by the Victorian Government. Collaborative work was undertaken to align the new units with overlaps in the two projects.

 

New Units

Four new units have been developed in conjunction with the Cross Laminated Timber Building Systems Project in the area of design, manufacture and installation of prefabricated timber building systems.

The draft documents can be downloaded in Microsoft Word format by clicking here. 

Design

FWPTMM5XXX Design timber building systems for compliance, off-site manufacture and on-site installationJob roles targeted:

  • architects, design engineers, draftspersons, structural engineers, building services engineers, architectural technicians, 3D visualisers, Building Information Modelling (BIM) technicians or computer-aided design (CAD) modellers.

Skills and knowledge covered:

  • facilitate collaborative design of prefabricated timber building systems through information exchange across multiple supply chain tiers
  • achieve detailed and integrated design solutions and specifications for multiple stages of the system’s life cycle (off-site prefabrication, transportation and on-site installation) to meet:
    • structural compliance
    • safety compliance
    • services assembly
    • safe and efficient transportation and on-site installation
View unit

 

Off-site manufacture

FWPTMM3XXX Apply critical workplace processes in the off-site manufacture of timber building systemsJob roles targeted:

  • operators who conduct production tasks on an assembly line for prefabricated timber building systems

Skills and knowledge covered:

  • apply critical workplace processes including:
    • workplace health and safety practices
    • efficient storage and handling of building materials for major timber building subassemblies
    • quality check requirements at the workstations before and after assembly work
    • control of waste material for disposal.
View unit
FWPTMM5XXX Verify compliance and conformance of prefabricated timber building systems during off-site manufactureJob roles targeted:

  • compliance officers, supervisors or managers who work in a prefabricated timber building systems manufacturing plant

Skills and knowledge covered:

  • verify physical performance and compliance liability of timber building systems and components during off-site manufacturing to ensure that the delivered product matches the design specifications and regulatory obligations.
View unit

 

On-site installation

FWPTMM3XXX Install prefabricated timber building systems on-siteJob roles targeted:

  • construction operators, carpenters or joiners and site supervisors who install prefabricated timber building structures

Skills and knowledge covered:

    • apply on-site safety practices
    • plan and prepare for installation
    • protect prefabricated timber building systems while stored on site
    • install prefabricated timber building systems
    • verify compliance of construction position and connect panelised and/or modular prefabricated timber building systems correctly during installation on the construction site, including the following activities:
    • perform project completion operations
View unit

Revised Units

Three existing units of competency have been revised to meet the skill needs for prefabrication of timber building systems while maintaining their suitability for all other users and timber manufacturing sectors.

Workplace health and safety requirements have been updated in the performance criteria, the intent of the units and assessment requirements have been clarified and the range of products in some units has been expanded to include cross laminated timber.

The draft documents can be downloaded in Microsoft Word format by clicking here. 

FWPCOT2230 Assemble productsView unit
FWPCOT4203 Plan and coordinate product assemblyView unit
FWPTMM5203 Generate and transfer complex computer-aided drawings and specificationsView unit

 

 

Register your interest in the project

Subscribe to the Skills Impact newsletter to keep informed about project updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback. Make sure to select ‘Forestry & Timber’ as your industry of interest on the subscription form.

 

Validation

Thank you to those who participated in the validation process for the final draft units of competency. The final drafts were made available for broad stakeholder validation and comment on this webpage, from 3 – 16 September 2018. The final drafts will shortly progress through to the Finalisation stage of the project, which includes quality assurance of the documents and review and feedback from the State/Territory Training Authorities, before the final drafts are forwarded to the Timber Building Solutions Industry Reference Committee (IRC) for consideration and sign off. They will then be submitted to the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) to consider and approve for publication on training.gov.au.

Validation means checking and confirming that the documents are logical and factually accurate.

Summary of consultation

Prior to the Validation period, the draft units of competency were made available on this webpage for broad stakeholder review, from 6 – 27 August 2018, under the ‘Drafts Available’ menu above. Under this menu, you can still view the drafts, including any comments that were made on them from people using the feedback hub. Feedback was also received via other engagement methods. A description of how this feedback was considered and applied in the final drafts can be downloaded via the ‘Download Summary of Feedback, Responses and Actions’ button. 

The units have been developed in consultation with a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), made up of workplace experts and industry, with input from their networks. Due to cross over of many of the skills being reviewed, consultation activities for this project have taken place concurrently with the Cross Laminated Timber Building Systems Project. Box Hill Institute has also been consulted, as they are working on a similar project at the State level, funded by the Victorian Government. Collaborative work was undertaken to align the new units with overlaps in the two projects.

New Units

Four new units have been developed in conjunction with the Cross Laminated Timber Building Systems Project in the area of design, manufacture and installation of prefabricated timber building systems.

Click here to download a zipped folder of all units in this group

Views were sought on the placement of the new units within qualifications from the FWP Forest and Wood Products Training Package. It is proposed that the new units are listed as electives on relevant frame and truss qualifications (see table below).

 

FWPTMM5XXX Design prefabricated timber building systems for compliance, off-site manufacture and on-site installationFWPTMM3XXX Apply critical workplace processes in the off-site manufacture of timber building systemsFWPTMM5XXX Verify compliance and conformance of prefabricated timber building systems during off-site manufactureFWPTMM3XXX Install prefabricated timber building systems on-site
FWP50316 Diploma of Timber Truss and Frame Designx
FWP30916 Certificate III in Timber Truss and Frame Design and Manufacturexx
FWP50216 Diploma of Timber Truss and Frame Manufacturex

 

Design

FWPTMM5XXX Design prefabricated timber building systems for compliance, off-site manufacture and on-site installationJob roles targeted:

  • architects, design engineers, draftspersons, structural engineers, building services engineers, architectural technicians, 3D visualisers, Building Information Modelling (BIM) technicians or computer-aided design (CAD) modellers.

Skills and knowledge covered:

  • facilitate collaborative design of prefabricated timber building systems through information exchange across multiple supply chain tiers
  • achieve detailed and integrated design solutions and specifications for multiple stages of the system’s life cycle (off-site prefabrication, transportation and on-site installation) to meet:
    • structural compliance
    • safety compliance
    • services assembly
    • safe and efficient transportation and on-site installation
Download final draft unit

 

Off-site manufacture

FWPTMM3XXX Apply critical workplace processes in the off-site manufacture of timber building systemsJob roles targeted:

  • operators who conduct production tasks on an assembly line for prefabricated timber building systems

Skills and knowledge covered:

  • apply critical workplace processes including:
    • workplace health and safety practices
    • efficient storage and handling of building materials for major timber building subassemblies
    • quality check requirements at the workstations before and after assembly work
    • control of waste material for disposal.
Download final draft unit
FWPTMM5XXX Verify compliance and conformance of prefabricated timber building systems during off-site manufactureJob roles targeted:

  • compliance officers, supervisors or managers who work in a prefabricated timber building systems manufacturing plant

Skills and knowledge covered:

  • verify physical performance and compliance liability of timber building systems and components during off-site manufacturing to ensure that the delivered product matches the design specifications and regulatory obligations.
Download final draft unit

 

On-site installation

FWPTMM3XXX Install prefabricated timber building systems on-siteJob roles targeted:

  • construction operators, carpenters or joiners and site supervisors who install prefabricated timber building structures

Skills and knowledge covered:

    • apply on-site safety practices
    • plan and prepare for installation
    • protect prefabricated timber building systems while stored on site
    • install prefabricated timber building systems
    • verify compliance of construction position and connect panelised and/or modular prefabricated timber building systems correctly during installation on the construction site, including the following activities:
    • perform project completion operations
Download final draft unit

 

Revised Units

Three existing units of competency have been revised to meet the skill needs for prefabrication of timber building systems while maintaining their suitability for all other users and timber manufacturing sectors.

Workplace health and safety requirements have been updated in the performance criteria, the intent of the units and assessment requirements have been clarified and the range of products in some units has been expanded to include cross laminated timber.

Click here to download a zipped folder of all units in this group

 

FWPCOT2230 Assemble productsDownload final draft unit
FWPCOT4203 Plan and coordinate product assemblyDownload final draft unit
FWPTMM5203 Generate and transfer complex computer-aided drawings and specificationsDownload final draft unit

 

 

 

Register your interest in the project

Subscribe to the Skills Impact newsletter to keep informed about project updates and opportunities to provide input and feedback. Make sure to select ‘Forestry & Timber’ as your industry of interest on the subscription form.

 

 

Next stage of the project

Once industry has validated all final drafts they will be submitted to the Timber Building Solutions Industry Reference Committee (IRC) for consideration and sign off. After final quality assurance of the drafts, they will be submitted to the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) to consider and approve for publication on training.gov.au.

Finalisation

On the 4 December 2018, the Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC) approved the Case for Endorsement for the new and revised units of competency, along with a Companion Volume Implementation Guide.

The final units are now published on training.gov.au, which means they are available for use by registered training organisations (RTOs). They are published within the FWP Forest and Wood Products Training Package version 4 (published on 18/12/2018). Click here to view the training package.

This project reviewed and updated units of competency for timber truss and frame design and manufacture to reflect emerging industry skill requirements, including prefabrication of panelised building systems, so that all job functions are accurately described.

What does this mean for training providers?

Registered training organisations (RTOs) may now apply to have the updated qualifications, skill sets and units added to their scope of registration. RTOs who already have the qualifications, skill sets and units that have been updated as part of this endorsement have 12 months to transition to deliver the updated qualifications, skill sets and units, from the date of publication. For more information, visit the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) website. 

A Companion Volume Implementation Guide has also been produced to help training providers implement the new and revised qualifications, skill sets and units. It can be downloaded from VETNet.com. 

Summary of project outcomes
Case for Endorsement

Please see the Case for Endorsement for more information about the work that was undertaken and why:

Download Case for Endorsement

Note that the units developed out of the Cross Laminated Timber Building Systems Project were also approved as part of this Case for Endorsement.

Summary of Consultation

The final drafts were made available for broad stakeholder validation and comment on this webpage, from 3 – 16 September 2018, under the ‘Validation’ menu above. Prior to this the draft units of competency underwent broad stakeholder review, from 6 – 27 August 2018, under the ‘Drafts Available’ menu. Under this menu, you can still view the drafts, including any comments that were made on them from people using the feedback hub. Feedback was also received via other engagement methods. A description of how this feedback was considered and applied in the final drafts can be downloaded via the ‘Download Summary of Feedback, Responses and Actions’ button.

The draft units have been developed in consultation with a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), made up of workplace experts and industry, with input from their networks. Advice was provided from the TAC on job roles and skill requirements in the manufacturing of solid engineered wood products (CLT & Glulam).

 

Four new units have been developed in conjunction with the Prefabricated Timber Building Systems Project, in the area of design, manufacture and installation of prefabricated timber building systems, involving Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glulam among other components.

 

FWPTMM5209 Determine prefabricated timber building systems designs for compliance, manufacture and installationView unit on training.gov.au
FWPTMM3208 Apply critical workplace processes in the manufacture of prefabricated timber building systemsView unit on training.gov.au
FWPTMM5210 Verify compliance and conformance of prefabricated timber building systems during manufactureView unit on training.gov.au
FWPTMM3209 Install prefabricated timber building systems on-siteView unit on training.gov.au

 

Three existing units of competency have been revised to meet the skill needs for prefabrication of timber building systems while maintaining their suitability for all other users and timber manufacturing sectors.

Workplace health and safety requirements have been updated in the performance criteria, the intent of the units and assessment requirements have been clarified and the range of products in some units has been expanded to include cross laminated timber.

FWPCOT2230 Assemble productsView unit on training.gov.au
FWPCOT4203 Plan and coordinate product assemblyView unit on training.gov.au
FWPTMM5203 Generate and transfer complex computer-aided drawings and specificationsView unit on training.gov.au