Builders Academy Wins Victorian Small Training Provider of the Year

Builders Academy has been awarded the 2018 Victorian Small Training Provider of the Year at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium.

As part of the 2018 Victorian Training Awards, the Small Training Provider of the Year Award recognises a training provider that offers a less than 50 qualification in total and demonstrates excellence and high level performance in all aspects of the training they deliver.

A key point of difference for Builders Academy was their Builders Training Builders philosophy, an emphasis on delivering industry-relevant skills from leading professionals across its building and construction courses.

“Everything we do is industry led,” said CEO Andrew Shea, while accepting the award.

“We speak the language of our students and look at where we try to launch them into sustainable careers, and we’re really proud of our outcomes there.”

“We are really proud of being able to meet a broad range of student needs, whether that being at one of our 70 physical training locations around the state or via our live and interactive online virtual classroom delivery model that makes training more accessible to our students.”

Builders Academy is now progresses as a finalist for the National Sma

ll Training Provider of the Year Award, at the Australian Training Awards.

Finalists for the National award offer less than 50 courses and have won the corresponding state training award.

Builders Academy offers seven qualifications across its building and construction courses, with both face to face and interactive online study options available to offer flexibility to students.

These include specific building and construction certificates, as well as certificates in plumbing, carpentry, work health and safety and civil construction.

The vocational education provider also offers higher level qualifications, such as its Diploma in Building and Construction (Building) CPC50220, as well as its Builders Leadership Program.

These higher qualifications assist tradies to expand their career prospects and move into building and construction management, or start their own businesses. Over the last 3 years alone, Builders Academy has had over 6000 successful graduates who have progressed their careers towards roles such as carpenters, building supervisors, construction managers or registered builders.

Pictured: Andrew Shea, CEO of Builders Academy Australia, accepting the award from Minister for Training and Skills, the Honourable Gayle Tierney. 

Builders Academy has framed its learning philosophy around industry-based outcomes to deliver courses that address real skills and industry needs. With a focus on real skills needed within the industry this has helped to see student completion rates well above industry averages regularly achieved.

Part of the Simonds Group, the owner of one of Australia’s largest homebuilders, Builders Academy is built on a foundation of industry expertise with a history of nearly 70 years.

At the heart of the training framework is the understanding that training students with real skills will give them a career at the end of their formal education. Strong industry connections facilitate a well-developed, relevant curriculum for all career stages.

Grounded in the organisation’s Builders Training Builders outlook, students undertaking any building and construction certificate or diploma are assured to be learning from teachers who are industry professionals and can give genuine advice on launching a career as a building and construction professional .

Originally an internal training division of Simonds Group, the success of the program saw it launched into the Australian public in 2014. This coincided with the milestone of the company’s subsidiary, Simonds Homes, completing 2000 homes in the same year.

Passing down such extensive experience is an essential element of learning at Builders Academy. Fostering student aspirations to grow skills and confidence to Become a Legend is now central to the outlook of the organisation.

This starts from the earliest career stages of pre-apprenticeships, which act as industry tasters, to longer apprenticeships and professional development for tradies already in industry.

The emphasis on flexibility and ongoing learning further supports individuals in other industries looking to start a new career. Building and construction certificates and diplomas are designed with online and onsite components to give convenient access to both learning materials and real world experience.

Both the commitment and consistency of application to these principles have seen the training provider accelerate its growth over the past four years, culminating in the Victorian Small Training Provider of the Year Award.

More important for Builders Academy is the long-term impact training opportunities have for students that benefit from upskilling opportunities.

With 30 years’ experience, Steven Thompson is now a Foreman after obtaining a building and construction course with Builders Academy. Previously unable to move into higher positions without a qualification, the former carpenter maximised the online learning access and is an advocate for hands-on experience gained onsite.

“My advice for anyone who wants to do what I do is to get a trade and then do a Diploma, basically. It’s a lot easier to have a trade, I think, than just going straight out of school. You know how things run – the hands-on. You know what happens and how everyone works on site.”

On top of direct industry access, students can pursue further study at university through dedicated pathways with Victoria University.

Students can choose from a Bachelor of Building Surveying, Building Design, or Building (Construction Management) to suit their career directions.

This is integral to empowering students with unique careers and strengthening through all members of the industry, and Builders Academy is excited to represent this level of commitment on the behalf of Victoria at the national awards.

Do you know someone who wants to start a trade? Watch more about training through a building and construction course with Builders Academy below.