BTEC Level 5 (HND) Construction and The Built Environment

The Higher Apprenticeship in Construction Management (Sustainability) - Level 5 has been developed to allow Technicians from around the country to be able to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in the workplace through the NVQ Level 5 whilst at the same time extending their learning through the HND Diploma Construction and the Built Environment. 

The introduction of the Higher Level Apprenticeship will address the following:

• Assisting retention by providing employers and employees with appropriate support and progression

• Promoting lifelong learning as an aid to achieving qualifications, career progression and CPD

• Improving supervisory, management and leadership skills

• Increasing employer investment in training and development to improve productivity

Level 4 Building Services Engineering Technician (Mechanical & Electrical)

Typical job titles can include: Assistant Project Engineer, Assistant Engineer or Building Services Site Technician. In the case of SME building services engineering specialist contractors the roles are likely to include Assistant Project Managers, Project Managers and Site Managers. 

These roles are associated with the supervision of the installation, commissioning or servicing of environmental technologies on construction projects and are based on construction sites with occasional time in offices.

The main duties and tasks of a Building Services Engineering Technician (M&E) are:

• Supervision of the installation of environmental technologies into buildings 
• Assisting design teams with building services engineering solutions on construction projects 
• Supervision of specialist contractors 
• Control of health and safety on construction projects 
• Recording, control and reporting of progress on a construction project 
• Minimisation of the environmental impact of construction projects 
• Control the quality of works on a construction project Ensure compliance with contractual conditions on a project
• Ensure compliance with contractual conditions on a project

The typical duration for this Apprenticeship is 2-3 years but this will depend upon the previous experience of the apprentice and access to opportunities to gain the full range of competence.

Entry requirements

Individual employers will determine their own entry requirements, but the typical entry requirements for this Apprenticeship will be have GCSEs or equivalent, including Maths, English and a Science; or a Level 2 Apprenticeship.

Qualifications

The following qualification will be gained: A Level 4 qualification in Construction and Built Environment that meets the knowledge requirements of the standard and is approved by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers as meeting the educational requirements for EngTech LCIBSE.

English and Maths

English and Maths at Level 3 will need to be achieved before taking the end point assessment and will form part of the Level 4 qualification.

Link to professional registration

This Apprenticeship will include the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to achieve Technician status with the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (EngTech LCIBSE). The Technician Professional Review process for EngTech LCIBSE is included in the end-point assessment process for this Apprenticeship and will lead to the designation letters EngTech LCIBSE and the status of Engineering Technician.

If you have three or more years’ industry experience and a CIOB recognised industry specific honours degree you may be ready to go straight to the Professional Review, becoming Chartered within 12 weeks of submitting your application.

The Professional Review checks that you have the right knowledge, skills and experience in three areas of competence: occupational, management and commitment to professionalism.

Details of standard

Occupational Profile

A Civil Engineering Technician provides technical support to engineers and other construction professionals in the design, development, construction, commissioning, decommissioning, operation or maintenance of the built environment and infrastructure. Technicians will be required to have a broad skills base to work in areas which include sustainable construction, structural integrity, geotechnics, materials, tunnelling, marine and coastal engineering, water, waste management, flood management, transportation and power.

A technician's work involve

• Design – assisting in the development of technical solutions by producing design models, calculations, reports and drawings, surveying a site, using appropriate analysis and relevant codes.
• Analysis – using appropriate software systems and other data gathering tools and tests to solve technical problems.
• Project delivery – contributing to planning, managing work schedules, budgets and deadlines, and ensuring outputs comply with client and industry specifications, standards and guidance.
• Site engineering - operating quality systems and Health, Safety and Risk Management procedures and checking specified technical aspects of site activities.

The introduction of the Advanced Level 3 Apprenticeship will address the following:

The aim of this apprenticeship is to attract, retain and develop talent into a range of occupations at Advanced (Level 3) also providing the opportunity to progress onto higher levels in construction technical in order to provide the industry with a well trained productive workforce. 

1. Attract new people from a range of diverse backgrounds into construction technical, supervision and management to broaden the industry talent pool in England. 

2. To provide broad-based training for a range of technical, supervision and management occupations in order to retain staff and increase productivity. 

3. To provide a structured career path for technical, supervision and management occupations to progress to higher level jobs using further and higher education.

Advanced Apprenticeship in Level 3, Pathway 2 - Construction Contracting Operations

An apprenticeship in construction is a form of vocational training whereby the apprentice follows a ConstructionSkills' approved framework to develop skills and knowledge and who would then demonstrate and evidence their application in a construction environment. In order to complete a Construction Apprenticeship the apprentice must have been employed during the apprenticeship, have evidenced competence in the specified range of vocational skills and have an employed status at the time of completion.

The introduction of the Advanced Level 3 Apprenticeship will address the following:

The aim of this framework is to attract, retain and develop talent into a range of occupations at Advanced (Level 3) also providing the opportunity to progress onto higher levels in construction technical in order to provide the industry with a well trained productive workforce. 

1. Attract new people from a range of diverse backgrounds into construction technical, supervision and management to broaden the industry talent pool in England. 

2. To provide broad-based training for a range of technical, supervision and management occupations in order to retain staff and increase productivity. 

3. To provide a structured career path for technical, supervision and management occupations to progress to higher level jobs using further and higher education.

The Higher Level 4 Apprenticeship in Construction Site Supervision (Construction) 

The Higher Level Apprenticeship in Construction Site Supervision (Construction) – Level 4 has been developed to meet the need of the following sectors, Building and Civil Engineering, Highways and Maintenance Repairs, Residential Development, Conservation, Demolition and Tunnelling, this broad range of occupational areas is designed to assess occupational competence in the workplace and demonstrate knowledge and understanding through the technical certificate. 

The introduction of the Higher Level 4 Apprenticeship will address the following:

• Provide progression from Occupational Work Supervision
  
• Provide progression onto Level 5 and above
  
• Allow entry onto degree programmes
  
• Assist retention and provide a pathway for experienced workers
  
• Improving supervisory, management and leadership skills

Level 6, Pathway 1: Professional Practise in Construction Site Management

This degree is specifically designed to develop the knowledge, and practical skills and competences you will need to operate as a construction site manager and achieve the higher apprenticeship Level 6 without the necessity of completing another qualification such as an NVQ.

What you do in your workplace will be assessed as part of the honours degree and the assignments you complete will be based on what you do at work.

As part of the course, you will complete three Specialist Project modules that are designed to enable you to develop your knowledge, understanding, skills and competency in the key areas of: Managing Cost Uncertainty and Risk; Managing Project Standards; and Managing

Project Delivery.

The specific form of the required assessment for these modules will be negotiated and agreed with your employer/workplace mentor and tutor. Typically, assessment will include a Reflective Project Report and presentation or other relevant artefacts.

Duration: 12-18 Month Programme

The Higher Level 4 Construction Design and Build Technician Apprenticeship 

Details of standard

1.     Occupation(s) 

The occupation covered by this standard is Construction Design and Build Technician and typical job titles can include: Assistant Design Co-ordinator or Design and Build Co-ordinator. In the case of SME construction companies the roles are likely to include Design Co-ordinator or Design Manager. They are associated with the co-ordination of design information on construction projects and are based on construction sites with occasional time in offices.

2.     Occupational profile

The main duties and tasks of a Construction Design and Build Technician are:

• Identification of client requirements in construction projects
• Identification of health and safety risks in the design of projects
• Checking of compliance with regulations on a construction project
• The minimisation of the environmental impact of construction projects
• Assisting architects with the development of detailed design on a construction project
• Co-ordinate design information on a construction project
• Monitoring of quality on a construction project
• Assisting commercial staff with the monitoring of costs on a construction project

The introduction of the Higher Level 4 Apprenticeship will address the following:

• Provide progression from Occupational Work Supervision
  
• Provide progression onto Level 6 and above
  
• Allow entry onto degree programmes
  
• Assist retention and provide a pathway for experienced workers
  
• Improving management and leadership skills

This Apprenticeship will include the knowledge, skills and behaviours typically required to achieve Technician status or the equivalent with the industry’s recognised professional bodies. The final assessment process for this Apprenticeship will typically be representative of the review process required for professional registration.

Occupational Profile

The growth of home networks connected to the internet and the level of communication between people and devices has created a new technological landscape in which almost every aspect of our homes can become one home technology ecosystem.  From our audio, video, home cinema, and security systems to our heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems, and even our window blinds, doors, and gates, our home environments are integrating into single, controllable home experiences.

Today’s Smart Home Technician (SHT) is the professional who installs, configures, and maintains this ecosystem.  Their work objective is to deliver a simple, secure, reliable, and sustainable user experience according to industry best practice and within project timelines and scope.  The SHT will work on construction sites and in homes with senior colleagues such as a Senior SHT, Smart Home Designer, Networking Specialist, or Home Theatre Designer to create integrated systems using a variety of equipment and services from other suppliers.  These projects will vary in size and scale from small homes to luxury mansions, yachts, multi-dwelling developments, and will range from simple component installation to creating a complex, electronic integrated systems environment.

The SHT will be able to install, configure, calibrate, and troubleshoot a range of electrically connected Digital Home Technologies or Separated Extra-Low Voltage (SELV) devices. To do this, the SHT will have a good working knowledge of common hardware, software, IP networking, audio & visual distribution, and RF systems and user interfaces. Additionally, they will have appropriate personal skills to deal with home owners and colleagues in associated construction trades, such as electricians, IT professionals, Security, Access Control, Fire and Intruder Alarm companies, Lighting designers and Installers, professional light and sound suppliers, Commercial AV companies

Occupation summary

This occupation is found in the building services sector. Building Energy Management Systems are implemented in buildings with mechanical, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and electrical systems to enable energy efficient control of the internal environment. The buildings themselves can vary widely in size and function.

 The broad purpose of the occupation is clearly focused upon the control, performance and efficiency of energy usage and comfort control in industrial/ commercial /public buildings of a diverse nature. It requires an associated understanding of these environments and the balance between cost, comfort, safety, health and wellbeing. It includes the specialist design, installation and commissioning expertise required to undertake this control and servicing function.

Typically a BEMS Controls Engineer will be involved initially with designing the building energy management system that controls the building services (eg heating, air conditioning, renewables).They may also write related software and graphics as well as installing and commissioning such systems. Another key area is connecting and integrating with other building systems (eg security) to create ‘Smart Buildings’. After the building is occupied and being used they may also be involved in servicing & maintenance, fault finding if there are problems with the system and energy performance reviews.

 Within the role the following skill set will be needed to cater for the range of different BEMS types:

1) Controls Hardware and Logic: Engineers will be required to select, install, configure and update control hardware platforms from the main manufacturers in the UK Market.

As well as manufacturer specific control hardware, engineers will also require generic knowledge. Particularly important is an understanding of controls principles such as logic, proportional and integral control and energy saving techniques for control strategy efficiency.

2) Field Devices: Field devices are manufactured by numerous organisations but can be, broadly speaking, categorised into Sensors, Valves, Actuators, Dampers, Variable Speed Drives, Switches and relays. The engineers will understand the controls and performance of field device types from first principles.

3) Networking: Standard network architectures such TCI/IP, MSTP and RS485 are the main stays of the industry so engineers will be required to design, install, maintain and fault find these types of networks along with more specialist sub-networks for integration of items like utility meters.

4) Communication Protocols: The engineers will be trained to a high level in the common open standard protocols in widespread use within the BEMS industry with the most common being BACNet.

5) Supervisor Software: Interaction with a BEMS is typically conducted via a ‘software supervisor’. This is, generically, a graphics based software platform aimed at providing an intuitive way for the user to find their way around their system. The engineers will be required to have a knowledge of the construction of graphics, creation of user accounts, alarm management and schedule management.

Mainstream environments/considerations for the use of these skill sets include:

• Office buildings/Leisure centres/student accommodation/college campuses - with consideration for comfort and energy efficiency
• Hospitals/health care – specific clinical control requirements
• Historic buildings - internal building fabric/external building integrity
• Theatres – audience comfort/performance special effects
• Transport/entertainment hubs - high volumes of people in relatively short periods of time

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a wide range of building stakeholders (eg owners/operators/facilities management/occupiers) in both the private and public sector. They would need to successfully liaise with both external and internal functions of their own organisation but also those of clients/key influencers (eg contractors/local councils/consultants) to ensure that different stakeholder needs are taken account of within the client’s controls specification.

Employees will be both office and site based.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for the delivery and performance of the BEMS and to achieve this they will have to manage budgets and teams of people, which could vary depending on the size of the business. The BEMS industry is made up of a wide range of organisation types/sizes but there are a significant number of SME’s (small/medium enterprises). Therefore employees will need to be able to work alone and under supervision.

A set of complimentary online courses for Being Well and Living Well.

ILM Level 5 Operations / Departmental Manager Apprenticeship (ST0385)

This qualification will provide learners working in an organisation with the leadership and management knowledge and skills required to progress in their career and on to further study. 

The the aim of this qualification is to support preparation for the End Point Assessment (EPA).

Who is the qualification for?

Ideal for professionals who manage teams or projects and are responsible for achieving operational or departmental goals andobjectives as part of their organisation’s strategy. The learner must be in employment to take this qualification.

Benefits for individuals

• Develop your ability to lead, motivate and inspire to drive better results.
  
• Use core management techniques to provide practical leadership and operational management skills.
  
• Benchmark your managerial capability against other professionals.
  
• Raise your professional profile within your organisation.
  

What opportunities for progression are there?

The qualification allows learners to progress in their career or to the following ILM qualifications:

• ILM Level 6 Award in Management
  
• Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (England only)
  
• ILM Level 7 Qualifications in Leadership and Management
  
• Management related degree
  

LTS Architects ILM Team Leader / Supervisor Apprenticeship (ST0384)

Projects can be defined and delivered within different contexts, across diverse industry sectors. They can be large or small. Every project needs to be managed to ensure its success, An associate project manager knows what needs to be achieved, how it will be achieved, how long it will take and how much it will cost, and works with the project team to achieve the required outcomes. Associate project managers need good planning, organisation, leadership, management and communication skills. 

An associate project manager utilises resources with suitable skills, qualifications, experience and knowledge to work together in a motivated and integrated team, with clearly defined reporting lines, roles, responsibilities and authorities. Dependent upon the size of the organisations and the complexity of projects, associate project managers’ job titles will vary, but typically they can include: assistant project manager, junior project manager, project team leader. Some organisations use ‘project manager’ as a generic job title.

APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) 

formerly known as Introductory Certificate

The Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) - (SCQF Level 6), developed by APM, the chartered body for the project profession.

The Association for Project Management (APM) 'Introductory Certificate: The APM Project Fundamentals Qualification' is an excellent way to demonstrate a basic awareness of project management and how projects differ from 'business as usual' activities. 

Who is this qualification for?

It is for those wishing to gain a broad understanding of the principles of the profession. No prior knowledge or experience is required for this qualification, which will offer the individual the knowledge to make a positive contribution to any project.

Construction Quantity Surveying Technician, Level 4

The occupation covered by this standard is Construction Quantity Surveying Technician. Typical job titles can include: Assistant Quantity Surveyor, Assistant Construction Surveyor, Quantity Surveying Technician, Assistant Cost Engineer or Assistant Cost Analyst. Construction Quantity Surveying Technicians are associated with the monitoring and control of costs and contracts on construction projects and are based on sites or in oces. 

The main duties and tasks of a Construction Surveying Technician are:

• Assisting senior managers with the budgeting of construction projects 
•  Control of costs during a construction project 
• Selection and management of specialist contractors 
• To contribute to the mitigation of disputes using accurate records 
• Recording, control and reporting of income and expenditure on a construction project 
• Valuation of progress on construction projects 
• To assist senior managers with the legal and contractual issues on a construction project