Certificate in Financial and Building Energy Management

Course details

The course aims to provide the learner with the knowledge and skills required to assess and improve the efficiency of resource use in an organisation. Depending on the learner’s background, it aims to consolidate and advance the skills and knowledge already attained from working in the energy/ construction industry. The information and knowledge is applied to the benefit of the community and the environment. Mature learners bring their prior experience to the programme and contribute to a dynamic mix of professions.

The Financial Information and decision making module is designed to enable learners to develop a significant understanding and make constructive contributions to the effective management of the financial activities of a business enterprise within the  construction industry. In doing so, they will develop a sound working knowledge of the various concepts, principles and techniques from the disciplines of management and business finance as they apply to the construction industry.

Minimum Entry Requirements

• A Level 7 (ordinary degree or diploma) in a construction related discipline or equivalent experiential learning.

Proposed Modules

• Financial Information for Decision Making in Construction
•  Building Energy Management

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this programme learners will have the ability to:

• Address cost saving energy management techniques in their organisation.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the value of financial management within the construction industry.
• Analyse the context in which investment and financing are typically made within construction related industries and the relevance of macro-economic factors, such as taxation and interest rates upon these decisions.    
• Develop a keen appreciation of the major financial reports in accordance with good accounting practice and provide evaluations thereon, including completion of performance evaluation using methods such as return on investment, residual income as means of assessing the performance of units across a construction related business.
• Identify and appraise the features and merits of various widely used sources of finance and to explain the factors that may determine the types /mix of finance to be used to fund construction related projects, including funding working capital and cash-flow management.
• Analyse costs structures and prices for work done by construction firms and explain the factors, principles and theories that influence cost allocation and measurement, cost behaviour and pricing.
• Appraise capital projects including a review of construction related investment proposals, identification of factors to be considered and issues to be resolved.
• Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency of resource use within an organisation
• Establish a monitoring and target-setting program to improve efficiency.
• Plan and implement a programme of improvement works.
• Audit and report on resource utilisation
• Use the skills and tools learned to persuade others that waste can be a resource.