This Level 4 qualification will lay the foundation of your learning by providing a broad introduction to construction and different construction management functions.
This develops and strengthens core skills while preparing you for more specialist subjects at Level 5 or to enter employment with the qualities necessary for job roles that require some personal responsibility.
Alongside the vocational, practical skills that you will be studying you will also develop the behaviours and transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, research and analysis that are highly valued by employers.
For information about course fees please refer to our Fees and Financial Support pages.
Hi-Vis and Work Safety Boots are required to undertake this course. You can find our full equipment list here.
Each unit usually carries 15 credits. Units are designed around the amount of time it will take for a student to complete them and receive a qualification. This is known as the total qualification time (TQT).
TQT includes guided learning activities, directed learning activities and assessment. Each 15-credit unit has a TQT of 150 hours – 60 guided learning hours (GLH) and 90 hours of independent learning hours (ILH).
A typical week requires students to be in college on a day release for seven and a half hours when on campus but may be more when on a study tour or on an active site for learning both theoretically and practically.
The total qualification time for Higher National Certificate (HNC) is 1,200 hours.
Examples of activities that can contribute to TQT include:
- Independent and unsupervised research and learning
- Unsupervised creation of a portfolio of work experience
- Unsupervised e-assessments
- Watching a recorded podcast or webinar
- Unsupervised work-based learning
Assessment on this course takes various forms:
- Centre-developed internal assignments that are set and assessed by centres, and
- Pearson-set assignments, which are set by centres in line with our guidelines and graded by centres.
Pearson is the Awarding Body for this qualification. Pearson-set units are mandatory and target particular industry-specific skills.
The number and value of these units is dependent on qualification size. For the HNC, we will assess one compulsory Pearson-set unit targeted at particular skills. This is a Level 4 core unit carrying 15 credits.
All other units will be assessed through internal assignments set at the centre.
This qualification provides a solid grounding in construction, which you can then build on should you decide to continue your studies beyond the Certificate stage.
If you elect to progress to the Level 5 Higher National Diploma you will be able to specialise in a specific career path or progression route to degree-level study.
On successful completion of the Level 5 Higher National Diploma, you can then develop your career in the sector through: entering employment, continuing existing employment, linking with the appropriate professional body, committing to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or progressing to university.
The Level 5 Higher National Diploma is recognised by higher education providers as meeting admission requirements to many relevant construction-related courses, for example:
- BSc (Hons) in Construction Management
- BA and BSc (Hons) in Construction
- BSc (Hons) in Construction Project Management
- BSc (Hons) in Construction Engineering Management.
You will need to be aged 18 years or over on or before 31 August of the academic year the course commences.
You will also need the following:
A BTEC Level 3 qualification in a related subject
A GCE A-Level profile that demonstrates strong performance in a relevant subject or adequate performance in more than one GCE subject. This profile is likely to be supported by GCSE grades at A* to C (or equivalent) and/or 9 to 4 (or equivalent) in subjects such as maths and English.
? other related Level 3 qualifications
? an Access to Higher Education Diploma from an approved further education institution
? relevant work experience, or
? an international equivalent to the above qualifications.
Due to the nature of this programme, you may be invited to attend an interview or audition. Where necessary other means of interview (i.e. telephone, web based, CD/DVD) can be arranged.
Historically, the UK construction sector has been a vital sector for the UK economy and a key driver of growth.
In spite of the challenges the sector has recently faced, construction continues to be one of the largest UK sectors and a key source of the UK's value added and employment.
A career in the construction industry with an academic and professional qualification also places you with the prospect of working anywhere in the world.
