A new Industry Advisory Panel for the Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence has been established, bringing together leading voices from Australia’s construction industry and ensuring real-world industry needs are driving the Centre’s training, education and innovation agenda in modern methods of construction (MMC).
Twelve industry experts, along with an industry Co-Chair, have been appointed to the Panel and will provide independent guidance and strategic advice to help the Centre deliver on its mission to accelerate industry’s adoption of MMC.
The Panel met for the first time on 27 November and prioritised six new education offerings to be developed and delivered by the Centre in 2026, and endorsed progressing the Certificate III in Prefabrication Installation, including confirming elective units aligned with current industry needs.
The priority education offerings respond directly to industry demand and will give learners essential, future-ready skills that industry needs to more fully embrace MMC. Offerings include design for manufacture and assembly, design for sustainability, net zero and circularity, practical building information modelling (BIM) and digital design for trades and site supervisors, MMC logistics and transport fundamentals and MMC for small and medium-sized businesses.
Panel members also reinforced the importance of improving women’s representation in construction, calling for diversity and inclusion principles to be embedded into all training design and delivery, to deliver a more inclusive, future-ready workforce.
The Centre is a national hub established and delivered by Melbourne Polytechnic with support from the Australian and Victorian Governments. It is helping to drive innovation and overcome skills gaps to meet Australia’s current and future housing construction challenges.
Damien Crough, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of prefabAUS, said: “The establishment of the Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence and its new Industry Advisory Panel represents a significant step forward for Australia’s transition to smarter, faster and more sustainable building methods.”
“This collaboration strengthens our shared ambition to build industry capability and accelerate adoption of advanced manufacturing approaches in housing. Together, we can help shape a more productive, resilient and future-focused housing system for Australia.”
Clea Smith, CEO Tradeswomen Australia Group, said: “The Centre of Excellence is uniquely placed to help address Australia’s housing pressures and skills shortages by shaping the next generation of training and capability development. Embedding inclusion from the outset is a critical part of that work – it is how the sector strengthens its entire workforce and ensures people of all backgrounds can participate and succeed.”
“A more inclusive approach benefits everyone, but it’s especially important if we want to unlock the talent of women, who remain one of the most under-represented and untapped sources of skill in construction and modern methods of construction. Lasting change only happens when industry, training providers and government work collectively – none of us can transform the system on our own. That’s why this Industry Advisory Group is so important: it brings the right voices together to shape real, system-wide change. “
Frances Coppolillo, Chief Executive of Melbourne Polytechnic, said: “The establishment of the Industry Advisory Panel is another important milestone for the Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence and demonstrates the critical importance of collaboration with industry to support skill and capability development, sector transformation and achieve meaningful changes on the ground.”
“Panel members bring considerable experience and insight, and their contributions will ensure the Centre’s training and education programs are squarely focused on meeting industry needs and helping to solve Australia’s housing challenges.”