Construction and Building Surveying

NZ Certificate in Building Regulatory Environment (Level 4)

NZ Certificate in Building Regulatory Environment (Level 4)

WANT TO LEARN TO WORK WITH BUILDING CONSENTS?

 

This 16-week programme allows you to build your knowledge about New Zealand legislation and regulations and working in a building regulatory environment. 

The New Zealand Certificate in Building Regulatory Environment (Level 4) gives you the skills and knowledge to support and assist building control operations and compliance processes. It expands your career options and boosts your capability with real world skills.

Increase confidence while gaining a nationally recognised qualification that is industry relevant.  

Programme Summary

Level:
4
Credits:
60 credits
Fees:
The indicative fees are $3,708.
Duration:
16 weeks
Who Can Join:
18 years & above
NZ Citizen/Resident visa holders
Campus:
Blended online
Takapuna
Next Intake:
18 March

Highlights

Gain technical and regulatory skills

Learn to support regulatory approval processes under the Building Act

Boost your communication skills

Learn administrative aspects of the building regulatory process

FS CON BS Success story Nadia 758x444 v2
“I did my research and found out about this programme and I was like, this is a dream.”
Nadia Naseem
BUILDING SURVEYING

YOUR EXCITING NEW CAREER AWAITS

 

This programme leads to a successful career as a Consent Processing Officer.

COURSE INFORMATION

COURSE INFORMATION

Job growth

Take your place in one of the fastest growing sectors in the country. The construction sector is the fourth largest employer, with 292,800 people employed in New Zealand in the December 2021 quarter, an increase of 5.4% from the December 2020 quarter.

It provided 13,255 more jobs in March 2022 (compared to March 2021) - this is likely to be driven by the high demand for housing, with more people wanting to build or renovate their homes.

Source: MBIE Building and Construction Sector Trends Reporting Package

Building consents and Activity

A record 49,773 new homes were consented in the year ended February 2022, an increase of 25% on the year ended December 2021. The annual number of new homes consents issued were record-high for eleven months between March 2011 and February 2022.

Total building volume rose a seasonally adjusted 8.9% in the December 2021 quarter, compared to the September 2021 quarter. Residential building activity rose 5.2%, while non-residential building activity rose 15.8%. Annually, the actual volume of building work put in place for the 2021 year was up 10.1%, when compared against 2020.

Source: MBIE Building and Construction Sector Trends Reporting Package

General Admission - Academic and English Requirements

You will need to have a minimum of four years' secondary education, a minimum of 10 NCEA credits in English and 10 NCEA credits in Mathematics at Level 1 or above or equivalent or completion of an appropriate qualification at Level 3 or above or relevant work experience in a building control environment.

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence of sufficient competence in English to complete this programme successfully.

Special Admission

You will need to be 20 years old by the first day of study and have sufficient evidence of aptitude, work or life experience that would indicate a successful outcome in your qualification. This can comprise written evidence, an interview, referee checks or a combination of these.

Regulatory framework

We will teach you how to apply knowledge of the relevant aspects of the regulatory framework within the building and/or building regulatory environments, and to operate effectively in a support role within the building and/or building regulatory environment including related government departments, industry bodies, and stakeholders.

Approval processes and checking documentation

You will learn how to apply the relevant technical and administrative aspects of the building regulatory process to support approval processes. You will gain the skills to check building regulatory documentation for completeness, within predetermined parameters, and to receive, resolve, and escalate enquiries.

Communication

You will learn to communicate effectively with the public, customers, and colleagues to provide appropriate customer service. You will gain the knowledge to make accurate notesinput written data on internal forms, checklists, field inspection records and how to complete prescribed forms in accordance with the Building Act, Building Code and other regulatory requirements.

NZ Diploma in Building Surveying Level 6

You will attend in-class and online tutorials where you can ask your lecturers any questions about your assessments and learning.

What does BRE mean?

It means Building Regulatory Environment. We are regulated by many laws in the council and the programme teaches you the important ones.

Can I get my LBP (Licensed Building Practitioner ) and Continued Professional Development points for this programme? 

Yes, you could submit your learning as elective activities you completed. Check out the link here: LBP Maintenance Site.

Why should I do more training for a Level 4 certificate when it is at a lower level than my degree in architecture?

The programme gives insights into the building control operations and compliance processes. A better understanding of inspection standards helps you to identify risks of failure, resulting in time and costs saving. This Level 4 qualification provides a specific focus on building regulations compared to a broad-based diploma or bachelor's qualification. This specialised, niche qualification gives you an advantage in carrying out consenting and other compliance processes more efficiently.

Will this qualification be recognised in the building regulatory environment?

Yes, this qualification is NZQA approved and recognised by New Zealand employers.

Are there any other organisations in New Zealand offering this qualification?

Future Skills Academy is the only specialist NZQA-approved organisation in New Zealand that offers this qualification in the area of Building Regulatory Environment and Building Control. Our faculty have vast experience in this field and are well known and respected in the industry. We work with more than 50 Building Consent Authorities across New Zealand and have over 200 students enrolled. We work in close consultation with our partner organisation, BOINZ (Building Officials Institute of New Zealand).

I have so many commitments. I am concerned I may not be able to complete the programme.

Please feel free to reach out to our Student Services team and find out how you will be supported during your learning.

I've never done online learning before. What support will I be provided?

As long as you have used computers or tablets for routine office work,using various applications such as Word, email and video conferences such as Teams and Zoom, you will find online learning fairly straightforward. However, please feel free to contact our friendly team with  any questions.

What if I miss some classes online?

You will have access to all the learning material on our learning management system, Moodle. All the classes will also be recorded for later viewing.

What do I need to access the programme content?

You will need access to a laptop, desktop computer or tablet and a reliable internet connection to complete this programme.

Do I need to have any computer skills?

Yes, you will need basic computer skills to be successful in the programme.

Which New Zealand legislation will I learn about?

– The Building Act, 2004 and associated legislation
– All clauses of the New Zealand Building Code
– The Acceptable Solutions and Verification Methods
and relevant Standards.

Is what I am learning relevant to the building regulatory environment?

Yes, all the courses conform to best industry practice and adhere to current relevant New Zealand legislation, regulations and codes of practice. 

Will I be able to cope with the academic requirements of the programme?

Your lecturers and the Student Success team at Future Skills Academy are available to offer any additional academic support you may need to succeed.

I am already a building industry-based project manager and do not want to work for the council. What are the advantages of studying this subject?

The key aspect of a project management role is to ensure the highest quality and timely completion of projects. Our programme prepares you to set your business and project management processes to minimise the risk of inspection failures. You will gain the knowledge you need to set up quality systems and processes along with anticipate and understand the inspection standards beforehand. This reduces the remedial work required post inspections, builds confidence in inspectors at your company, and helps you deliver on projects faster resulting in higher profitability.