Diploma of Building and Construction (Building)

The Diploma of Building and Construction (Building) is a one-year qualification for people who want to work in residential and commercial building. You learn how to run a building project from start to finish: reading and interpreting plans, estimating materials and costs, programming trades, supervising site work, and keeping the job compliant with the National Construction Code and work health and safety law. Assessment is practical, you prepare tender documents, cost plans and site management plans, and you work through the contract administration that sits behind every job.

The course is delivered by the Novel Institute of Hospitality and Management and is registered on CRICOS (course code 121089B) for international students. As a diploma, it sits below a bachelor degree on the Australian Qualifications Framework. Study is organised into units of study, each with a set credit value, and the full qualification is normally completed over two semesters or trimesters in a single year. Some units include a work placement or simulated site project, which is how most construction management qualifications in Australia build the practical hours employers ask about.

You finish with the skills to price a job, sequence trades, manage subcontractors, monitor quality and safety, and report progress to a client or builder. You also pick up the digital side of the work, estimating software, project scheduling tools and basic building information modelling, depending on the units offered.

This diploma suits school leavers who want a fast route into site supervision, tradespeople moving off the tools into a leading hand or supervisor role, and international students who want an Australian construction qualification before deciding whether to continue to a degree. It is also a common pathway into a bachelor degree in construction management with credit for prior study. Entry requirements, English levels, unit lists and tuition are published on the official CRICOS register and the institute's own page, confirm the current details there before you apply.

• Building supervisor or site supervisor, running day-to-day site operations for residential builders and commercial contractors.
• Leading hand or foreman, supervising trades and coordinating work packages on housing and low-rise projects.
• Estimator, preparing material take-offs and cost plans for builders, subcontractors and suppliers.
• Contract administrator, managing progress claims, variations and subcontract documentation.
• Project coordinator, supporting project managers on commercial fit-out, civil and infrastructure jobs.
• Building certifier support or compliance officer, checking plans and site work against the National Construction Code and local council requirements.

Hiring industries include residential construction, commercial and industrial building, civil infrastructure, property development, and building services subcontracting. Graduates often start with a builder, developer or subcontractor and move into project management as they gain site experience.