The entry level qualification is called the Certificate III in Soil Mechanics. This program requires that a trainee undertakes a number of nominated units of competence in various streams of learning. This will require a new geotechnical trainee to attend formal classroom training (typically conducted at a TAFE Institute).

It is expected that new trainees will have achieved successful completion of year 11 including passes in English, Mathematics and Science. It is critical for potential trainees to recognise the need to have successfully completed Mathematics and Science at year 11 and should therefore consider this as part of subject selection at secondary school.

One institute that is offering this Certificate is Box Hill Institute of TAFE n Melbourne's eastern suburbs. For information about other colleges and institutes offering similar programs, please contact the Association or your local TAFE institute.

Students may also undertake further study by completing an Associate Diploma in Engineering (Civil).

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (or RPL) is the acknowledgement of a person's skills and knowledge, acquired through previous training, work or life experience, which may be used to grant status or credit in a subject or module. Alan Bartlett of Allan Bartlett Consulting Pty Ltd has given us permission to publish an extract of his extensive paper on RPL for use by members of the Association.

Download Allan Bartlett's paper on Recognition of Prior Learning

Qualifications in Laboratory Operations

A new Laboratory Operations package has just been released with many new competencies (Feb 2010). These include the range of qualifications; certificate ii, iii, iv, Diploma and Advanced Diploma which would be better for our members. Please click here for the course outlines. If you would like further information please contact Phillip McGlashan at Swinburne University of Technology on (03) 9214 4651 or by email to Mr Ernie Gmehling.