TAFE offering support for Back to Work program

As Australia is experiencing a significant labour shortage, the government has a range of fully and partially funded TAFE courses available.

TAFE FNQ will be training people that are under the Back to Work program for construction. The program covers key trade skills including:

• Competent use of basic industry tools

• White Card (Construction Industry White

Card Skill Set – SSCPC00001)

• Confined spaces

• Working at heights

• Elevated work platform

• Excavator operator

• Work experience with real employers who are seeking staff.

The Back to Work Program for employers outlines the range of financial and non-financial support available, which includes Back to Work support payments of up to $20,000 for businesses that employ eligible workers.

If you’re looking for new employees, there’s an opportunity to take on these candidates for work experience three days a week of five days a week.

Read more about the Back to Work program and TAFE courses at tafeqld.edu.au. 

Building cladding with recycled glass scores results in sustainability

Engineers have developed new fire-safe building claddings using recycled glass.

The RMIT University team worked with materials technology company Livefield to produce the composite cladding, which they say is cheap, structurally robust, and fire-resistant.

Lead researcher Associate Professor Dilan Robert said using recovered glass waste as an alternative cladding material could one day help reduce the amount of glass that goes to landfill.

The team’s non-combustible claddings use 83 per cent recycled glass, along with relatively low amounts of plastic binders and fire-retardant additives.

Dilan said their special blend of materials overcame the challenges with glass claddings, which were brittle and prone to fracture, as the plastic binders provided “improved toughness”.

“Experiments have proven that our claddings are fire-safe, water-resistant, and cheap, and meet structural and environmentally sustainable requirements,” he said.

The technology has met the key compliance requirement of claddings for noncombustibility (AS1530.1) set by Standards Australia and has been trialled for largescale manufacturing capability.

Millions of tonnes of reusable glass go into landfill every year, and more glass could be recycled into products in the construction industry.

“Reuse of glass that would otherwise go to landfill will bring environmental, economic, and social benefits,” Dilan said.

Dilan said testing of the new cladding materials for fire safety was an important focus of the research.

“Claddings play a key role in preventing the spread of fire, particularly in high-rise buildings. Some of the most catastrophic building fires have been attributed to the poor fire-prevention performance of cladding materials.

“These tragic events underscored the importance of understanding and designing fire-resistant cladding materials and systems for the building and construction sector,” he said. 