National initiative becomes a reality with delivery of first pilot program at Melbourne Polytechnic's Heidelberg campus
Thursday 2 October 2025 -- Dignitaries from government, industry and the education sector attended Melbourne Polytechnic's Heidelberg campus today to celebrate the inauguration of the Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence (the Centre or FHC CoE). The Centre is a national hub for industry collaboration, innovation and training in modern methods of construction (MMC) to address Australia's housing challenges and the need for more affordable, sustainable homes built at speed.
The Centre is being developed and delivered by Melbourne Polytechnic in close collaboration with industry, and with $50 million in funding from the Federal and Victorian State Governments.
The Centre recently launched its first short course; 'Rethinking Construction – Introduction to Modern Methods of Construction', developed with industry partners to introduce workers, trainees and students to prefabrication, modular, and volumetric construction principles and techniques. The course is a gateway into a suite of new, targeted training and development initiatives, including potential formal qualifications or apprenticeships, to build a skilled workforce ready for modern construction challenges.
CEO of Melbourne Polytechnic, Frances Coppolillo, said: "The activation of the Centre is an exciting milestone, and is the culmination of an enormous effort by the Melbourne Polytechnic team in collaboration with industry partners.
"By working with partners to drive innovation and address skills gaps, the Centre will help industry to evolve and embrace modern construction methods, making a huge difference as it wrestles with the challenges of how to build more affordable homes for our growing population."
Federal Minister for Skills and Training, Hon Andrew Giles MP, said: "The Albanese and Allan Labor Governments are ensuring that Victorians can access opportunities to train and learn new skills – including to build the homes Victorians and Australians need.
"We're investing in TAFEs so they can be at the forefront of this work, including through the TAFE Centre of Excellence at Melbourne Polytechnic's Heidelberg campus."
Victorian Minister for Skills and TAFE, Hon Gayle Tierney MP, said: "We're backing this cutting-edge facility which will not only help build the Victoria of the future but also help students develop vital skills, create jobs and provide new opportunities for more Victorians.
"We're building a future workforce that is ready for modern construction challenges, ensuring our future homes are smart and sustainable."
Damien Crough, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of prefabAUS, said: "We have a lot of houses to build across Australia to meet our housing targets. The Centre is an important integrator and aggregator that brings industry together with the vocational education and training sector. It will support industry as we transition towards more advanced manufacturing and industrialised construction, providing the skills we need to do so."
Building the workforce with skills in modern methods of construction will help the nation deliver affordable housing more quickly, while producing homes that are better equipped to withstand extreme weather and aligned with Australia's emissions reduction, sustainability and waste minimisation targets.
The Centre will deliver a suite of short courses, micro-credentials and full qualifications, embedding modern methods of construction into both new offerings and existing training pathways. As it evolves, its reach and impacts will extend nationally, providing training and development programs that can be offered by TAFEs and other training and education providers across Australia.
Shaped by industry, for industry, the FHC CoE is supported by key partnerships across the construction sector including prefabAUS, MBAV, Building 4.0 CRC, BuildSkills Australia, VSA, HIA, Tradeswomen Australia and Empowered Women in Trades that will also help encourage diversity in the MMC sector. More industry partnership opportunities will emerge as the Centre grows and evolves.
Work is also underway to design and build a new, purpose-built showcase facility at the Heidelberg campus, which will serve as a national exemplar of modern methods of construction. The new facility will include a hands-on demonstration and learning hub, with state-of-the-art spaces for training, applied research, and collaboration between students, educators, and industry partners. Construction will commence in 2026.
