ABSTRACT
Tertiary education for Technicians in the Architecture and Construction sector has been undergoing redevelopment over the last two years.
The paper will identify the particular issues associated with the changing demands of Building Education in New Zealand, as a result of demands for qualifications that will meet Industry’s requirements into the 21st Century, and will then trace the development of the new ‘National Diplomas for Technicians in Architectural Technology, Quantity Surveying and Construction Management’, which are to replace the present thirty year old New Zealand Certificate qualifications in these disciplines.
The biggest changes are that these new qualifications can be achieved academically with a minimum of 2 years equivalent full-time study, without the additional requirement of 3 years relevant work experience (as was the case for the New Zealand Certificates), they have been written in Unit Standard format for lodgement on to the National Qualifications Framework—(a first for these disciplines at tertiary level in New Zealand) and involve ‘competency based.assessment’. The paper will identify some of the innovative approaches taken in the curriculum design and then, in conclusion, will evaluate the outcomes of the redevelopment process.
