Parallel TAFE and higher education studies in construction management : from collaboration to dual qualifications.

Collaboration between TAFE (vocational colleges) and universities in Australia in construction management has been problematic, with exchanges between the two sectors limited to linear articulation and prescribed credit transfer. Articulation pathways have traditionally been viewed as the poor relation of university entry. In 2005, the first pilot project in dual sector construction education was conducted at RMIT University in Melbourne. Higher education students completed electives in practical units within the TAFE sector. Due to the overwhelming success of the project, practical electives were firmly embedded in the construction management programme in 2007 and this paper reports on the third, final phase of the project in 2009 which has seen construction management students graduate with a dual qualification – both a TAFE qualification and a Higher Education degree. The case studies of this final phase reveal that students and industry want the benefits of a practical qualification. The data raises critical questions about education pathways and suggests long-term implications for construction and dual sector education in Australia.