DELIVERING PREFAB’S NEXT GENERATION COMPETENCIES

Paramount to achieving sustained growth for any prefab construction sector is support for training and education programs to develop the necessary competencies on the factory floor, in the design office, and at the research level. Manufacturing buildings off-site in factories requires a workforce with a hybrid of skills incorporating assembly line processes and an understanding of site-based assembly.

The 2017 Sector Competitiveness Plan identifies five common approaches to improving workforce skills and management capability, two of which are:

• Participating in the development of training packages delivered through the national vocational education and training system, and
• Facilitating mentoring and work integrated learning opportunities for university students and PhD candidates.

“Paramount to achieving sustained growth for any prefab construction sector is support for training and education programs to develop the necessary competencies on the factory floor, in the design office, and at the research level.  Manufacturing buildings off-site in factories requires a workforce with a hybrid of skills incorporating assembly line processes and an understanding of site-based assembly.”
Dr David Heath, CAMPH.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS
The ARC Training and Research Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing (CAMPH) based at the University of Melbourne, was awarded funding through the Industrial Transformation Research Program (ITRP) administered by the Australian Research Council (ARC).  The ARC supports fundamental and applied research and research training to grow knowledge and innovation for the benefit of the Australian community.  Prefabricated construction is considered a key contributor towards the transition towards a smart, high-value and export-focused industry.

The objectives of the ITRP are to:

• Foster opportunities for Higher Degree by Research candidates and postdoctoral fellows to pursue industrial training
• Drive growth, productivity and competitiveness by linking to key growth sectors
• Enhance competitive research collaboration between universities and organisations outside the Australian higher education sector
• Strengthen the capabilities of industries and other research end-users in identified Industrial Transformation Priority areas.

During its first 12 months CAMPH has grown considerably in terms of research personnel, projects and industry partners.

It now includes 15 PhD students as well as postdoctoral fellows working across four different universities and with 12 industry partners.  Over four years researchers are embedded in industry partners’ offices and projects to gain real-world experience and develop innovative IP for uptake by the prefabrication industry.

THE SWEDISH STORY
In Sweden prefabricated housing has traditionally been developed by companies under the very strong belief that this is the most efficient building strategy. During the last decade it reached a threshold value where prefabrication companies changed their business strategy to start building multi-storey housing based on three-dimensional volume elements. Virtually all prefab companies within the timber business have adopted this approach.

Education and training in Sweden are delivered through university programs in building technology and building physics. There are two levels of education in Sweden that are three and five years in duration respectively. It is possible to join programs including: building production, building technology and design, building project management, and so on. At one university it is also possible to take a Master in architecture and engineering simultaneously.

“Education and training are Sweden is delivered through university programs in building technology and building physics. There are two levels of education in Sweden that are three and five years in duration respectively. It is possible to join programs including: building production, building technology and design, building project management, and so on. At one university it is also possible to take a Master in architecture and engineering simultaneously.”
Dr Mikael Ludvigsson, Smart Housing Småland.

In 2014, ProWOOD – a business graduate school for business and universities in collaboration – commenced and is based at Linnaeus University and Jönköping University. It has 12 PhD students within the research theme, “Industrial Product Realisation for a Proactive Wood Industry”. It resembles CAMPH in many ways; however it focuses exclusively on wood-based research topics within the building sector. Example topics include: ‘Automation strategies for the wood manufacturing industry’ and ‘Automation of the production of construction elements for houses’.

TRAINING FOR OFF-SITE MANUFACTURING
In the U.S. the Training for Manufactured Construction (TRAMCON) program was setup in 2014 to meet the needs of off-site manufacturing.  Presently, there is an estimated shortage of more than two million skilled workers in the U.S. site-built construction industry.  TRAMCON is being delivered by a consortium in Florida, U.S. that was awarded US$9.9m by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The consortium is providing training and education for off-site manufacturing and comprises four state colleges, workforce investment boards, and local employers. Companies manufacture panelised and volumetric systems, frames and trusses, precast concrete, structural insulated panels (SIPs), and portable prefab buildings.

TRAMCON offers a free education that will earn nationally recognised certification, including pre-vocational, vocational training, entry level, apprentice, journeyman and supervisor certifications.  The education is delivered via classroom activities, on-the-job training, and supervised training to provide skills in carpentry, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and manufacturing procedures. Candidates are required to be at least 18 years of age and pass a language skills test.

In Australia TAFE is well suited to host training and education programs similar those being delivered by TRAMCON in the U.S.  Such programs could also attract ex-automotive industry workers and the ageing workforce who are better suited to the improved working conditions and availability of ergonomic aids in a factory environment.

In Sweden there are vocational education and training courses run at universities.  These programs provide the skills required for factory manufacturing of houses. An example subject is “Expert competence within sustainable building processes.” Those who joined the 2017 prefabAUS Sweden study tour witnessed a variety of factory operating models. Housing company Eksjöhus utilised a very high degree of automation in production lines throughout its factory, with a relatively small area devoted to bespoke manufacturing.  Contrastingly, VästkustStugan relied heavily on traditional skilled labour such as carpentry, with a modest level of technology such as up-riser tables and ergonomic aids.

THE FUTURE OUTLOOK
Future programs delivering education and training will need to be adaptable for white- and blue-collar workers alike.  Technology is changing the construction landscape at an unprecedented pace and automation is increasingly being used for repetitive and mundane tasks, and to improve productivity and safety in advanced manufacturing.  This frees up intellectual capital so that it may be invested in creative and problem-solving tasks and in doing so creates new opportunities to repatriate manufacturing to Australian shores.■

Dr David Heath National Technical Manager ARC Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing

Dr Mikael Ludvigsson Managing Director Smart Housing Småland