Cost is one of the fundamental pillars of project management. And it’s even more important in the construction sector, with increasing pressures from the supply chain, economy, competition, and technology.
As a project engineer, you're integral to the day-to-day management of a construction budget. You're expected to be able to forecast and track budgets for construction works, and communicate the financial position to stakeholders. For individual tasks, you also need to be able to decide on the best solutions by working out the costs and benefits of different options.
This micro-credential proves your ability to manage and report on construction project costs in a project engineering role. It demonstrates that you can:
- Communicate budgets to construction crews
- Check quantum of scope
- Use technology to manage project costs
- Communicate work packages including take off measures for crew.
How do you gain a micro-credential?
Micro-credentials are designed to be flexible and accessible. Watch the video to learn more:
Your pathway to gaining this micro-credential will depend on your existing skills, knowledge and experience.
You can choose to be recognised for your existing skills and experience (the assessment or advisory pathways) or build your knowledge through learning and application (the learning pathway).
Read about our options below to find the pathway that suits you:
If you first need to build your knowledge, skills and capabilities, the learning pathway is for you. Completed 100% online, it includes:
- A high-quality program of study, delivered through an on-demand, self-paced course
- An advisory session with an education specialist
- Access to our EngLearn platform to lodge your submission
- Assessment of your submission by our qualified assessors
- A digital badge upon successful completion.
EA members get 15% off on selected workshops and training. Not a member? Sign up now
*1% credit card surcharge applies.
Any questions?
Contact us
The learning component of this micro-credential is about eight hours in duration, plus seven-nine hours to prepare and submit your evidence for assessment.
Candidates have up to six months from registration to complete their submissions.
The learning pathway begins with the Manage Construction Project Costs learning component. This includes eight hours of self-paced learning.
Once you register, you will be provided with a confirmation email containing instructions on how to complete your micro-credential, including how to access the EngLearn online learning platform, book your advisory session, and submit your assessment.
">If you have existing skills, knowledge and experience in practice, but would like input on preparing your assessment submission, the advisory pathway is for you. Completed 100% online, it includes:
- An advisory session with an education specialist
- Access to our EngLearn platform to lodge your submission
- Assessment of your submission by our qualified assessors
- A digital badge upon successful completion.
EA members get 15% off on selected workshops and training. Not a member? Sign up now
*1% credit card surcharge applies.
Any questions?
Contact us
We estimate you’ll need seven-nine hours to prepare and submit your evidence for assessment.
Candidates have up to three months from registration to complete their submissions.
Once you register, you will be provided with a confirmation email containing instructions on how to complete your micro-credential, including how to access the EngLearn platform, book your advisory session and submit your assessment.
If you are an experienced practitioner and are seeking recognition of your skills, knowledge and capabilities, the assessment pathway is for you. Completed 100% online, it includes:
- Access to our EngLearn platform to lodge your assessment submission
- Assessment of your submission by our qualified assessors
- A digital badge upon successful completion.
EA members get 15% off on selected workshops and training. Not a member? Sign up now
*1% credit card surcharge applies.
Any questions?
Contact us
We estimate you’ll need six–nine hours to prepare and submit your evidence for assessment.
Candidates have up to three months from registration to complete their submissions.
Once you register, you will be provided with a confirmation email containing instructions on how to complete your micro-credential, including how to access the EngLearn platform and submit your assessment.
We can tailor group packages for teams to align with your business objectives or L&D needs.
For more information, submit an enquiry or call us on +61 3 9321 1700.
To gain this micro-credential, you will need to demonstrate that you do the following in the workplace:
- Conducting and communicating the outcome of Project Budget reviews
- Calculating cost of undertaking a task, assess against the resultant benefits
- Evaluating options to achieve project outcomes and determine appropriate solutions
- Completing quantity take-offs
- Forecasting and tracking progress, the total cost of scope and the cost of packages between multiple projects/sub-projects
- Understanding how to accelerate/decelerate and level resourcing and apply cost levers in context to schedule
- Using appropriate technology to manage project costs.
For full details of the criteria, view the participant guide.
This micro-credential is assessed to directly align to the Construction Engineer Learning and Development Guide, which identifies industry competencies.
To earn this micro-credential, you will need to show that you meet the criteria in practice. To do this, you will prepare an assessment submission consisting of:
- At least two workplace examples from the past two years
- Evidence to support demonstration of the workplace examples, addressing each criterion
- A written explanation of how the workplace evidence relates to each criterion
- A video interview where you answer questions about your workplace examples.
A workplace example is an occasion where you’ve applied the skills and knowledge of the micro-credential. For this micro-credential, suitable examples may include:
- Construction project relevant to a project engineer
- Scope of work for construction crew and includes communication of budget.
There are many different examples that could be used to show your ability in practice. The same example could be used on two separate occasions, or two different examples could be used on two separate occasions.
If you’re not sure, choose the learning or advisory pathway for guidance.
Evidence is anything that supports your workplace examples. Evidence can be submitted in a range of forms, including (but not limited to):
- Cost breakdown structure
- Fundamentals of cost codes
- Project Engineers can communicate the budget, including how the mechanics work — for example — to a construction crew
- Ability to check quantum of scope
- Communicate work packages including take off measures for a work crew:
- Kit
- People
- Materials.
Is this micro-credential for you?
This micro-credential is relevant for project engineers working in construction.
It's also relevant for site engineers working towards becoming a project engineer and those seeking to develop capabilities outlined in the Construction Engineer Learning and Development Guide from Engineers Australia and the Australian Constructors Association.
Elements are to be completed in sequence, and we recommend allowing the following time to complete each:
- Learning component: allow eight hours for a self-paced online short course
- Advisory session: allow 20 – 30 minutes for the session
- Assessment submission: allow six – eight hours to collate, prepare and submit your assessment submission
- Video interview: allow 25 minutes.
You have six months from registration to complete all elements of the learning pathway and finish your assessment submission.
Elements are to be completed in sequence, and we recommend allowing the following time to complete each:
- Advisory session: allow 20 – 30 minutes for the session
- Assessment submission: allow six – eight hours to collate, prepare and submit your assessment submission
- Video interview: allow 25 minutes.
You have three months from registration to complete all elements of the advisory pathway and finish your assessment submission.
We recommend allowing the following time to complete each element:
- Assessment submission: allow six – eight hours to collate, prepare and submit your assessment submission
- Video interview: allow 25 minutes.
You have three months from registration to complete all elements of the assessment pathway and finish your assessment submission.
- Familiarise yourself with the micro-credential’s criteria within the participant guide
- Note down any questions you have about your assessment submission or the process
- Think about the examples you are planning to use in your assessment submission and be ready to talk about them.
You will be provided with the opportunity to resubmit if your original submission isn’t deemed satisfactory. Your assessor will provide you with detailed feedback on areas and evidence to improve.
To appeal, apply in writing to [email protected]. When we receive your request, a second assessor will review and assess your portfolio of work and the feedback provided by your original assessor.
Where the outcome of the second assessment agrees with the original assessment, the result stands. Where the assessment outcome is inconsistent, we will engage a moderator to assess the submission, and the outcome of the moderator’s assessment will be final.
Award-winning learning
Engineers Australia's Micro-credentials have been recognised for excellence in education, receiving two LearnX Platinum Awards in 2024 for Industry Specific Learning and Development, and Best Talented Learning and Development Team.
