Case study six: Building Leadership Simulation Centre - Creating real attitude and behavioural change

Because of the many variables involved in managing asbestos in building sites, it’s necessary for supervisors and managers to have a variety of what are often referred to as ‘core skills for work’: communicating with staff and clients, ensuring an appropriate attitude to the risk posed by asbestos, dealing with difficult situations, problem-solving, and so on. However these skills are rarely taught explicitly in trade training, and when tradespeople are promoted into supervisory and middle-management positions, the need for these skills beyond the technical becomes very apparent.

Developing core skills for work is of particular importance for supervisors and managers involved in managing situations involving asbestos.The Building Leadership Simulation Centre, located in South Melbourne, was established by the Master Builders Association of Victoria to meet the need to develop these skills using life-like simulation.