Kangan Batman TAFE to train builders in the north-west to build energy efficient homes
13 August 2003
Builders, architects, designers and property developers in the north-west of Melbourne can now train to provide Victoria with Australia’s most energy efficient homes, thanks to a partnership between SEAV (Sustainable Energy Authority Victoria) and Kangan Batman TAFE to deliver the FirstRate training program.
Kangan Batman TAFE is set to roll out training in FirstRate house energy rating software – an innovative computer program which helps builders and designers calculate and improve the energy efficiency of residential homes.
The FirstRate program training will empower Victoria’s builders to construct Australia’s most energy efficient homes. This training is a key step towards the implementation of 5 Star energy efficient housing in Victoria.
Residents of 5 Star homes will experience significant improvements in home comfort, lower energy costs and a reduction of their environmental impact.
The FirstRate Assessors course is a two-day course that will cover implementation of the FirstRate software and use of energy efficient materials in building. Kangan Batman TAFE was chosen as one of the preferred providers of this course for its expertise in the building and environment areas. Kangan Batman TAFE is the only institute providing this training in the north-west.
By delivering the FirstRate training, Kangan Batman TAFE will be providing the building industry with the means to actively respond to the challenge of climate change in a way that benefits consumers, the environment and the Victorian economy.
Kangan Batman TAFE is part of a statewide network of training establishments helping Victoria’s builders to produce more comfortable and affordable energy efficient homes, in preparation for the introduction of 5 star housing standards to Victoria.
David Young, CEO of the Sustainable Energy Authority, which is coordinating the program, says Kangan Batman TAFE will play a vital role in making Victoria’s homes more energy efficient and cheaper to run.
“The Victorian government has committed to introducing 5 Star energy efficiency housing standards into all new homes, to make them more comfortable and healthier places to live,” he said.
“To achieve this goal it is vital that we have a statewide network of builders who can assess homes for energy efficiency to ensure they meet the 5 Star Standard. Kangan Batman TAFE will now be able to train hundreds of builders annually to use the assessment software. With training programs like this, Victoria’s construction industry will build on its reputation of being world class.”
The implementation of the new 5 Star Standard is estimated to result in 1,100 extra jobs in the building product industry, a growth in export potential from Victoria and an increase in the Gross State Product of $560 million over the next 20 years.
For further information about FirstRate training, visit the Sustainable Energy Authority website, www.seav.vic.gov.au.
Kangan Batman TAFE plans to run the course through most of its six campuses located in Broadmeadows, Essendon, Coburg, Moreland, Richmond and Avondale Heights.
People interested in doing the course can enrol through Kangan Batman TAFE’s Building, Furnishing & Electro-technologies Department on 9318 2488. The cost of the two-day course is $350.00.
For further information please contact:
Jasmine Naidu, Building, Furnishing & Electro-technologies Department, Kangan Batman TAFE on 9318 2488
