This graduate diploma is for engineering personnel working or intending to work in the construction or maintenance of high voltage lines. It provides a basis for the professional development of engineers already qualified from a range of disciplines, enabling them to up skill to the requirements necessary for the construction and maintenance of high voltage lines.

People awarded this qualification are able to apply management procedures to design and construction projects and can control design and construction project expenditure. They are also able to undertake project management in an electrotechnology engineering environment. They are able to construct transmission tower foundations; string, install, and attach transmission network conductors; and erect electricity transmission towers. They have knowledge of both electrical and mechanical overhead line design, an understanding of power system earthing, and are able to undertake high voltage overhead line route selection. As part of their project management responsibilities they can manage the storage, handling, and transportation of materials.

The elective section of the qualification recognises the diversity in construction and maintenance projects and enables people to specialise in construction or maintenance. They may choose to consolidate their construction expertise by undertaking standards covering engineering survey and set-out for civil construction, and setting out levels and positions in civil construction projects, or they may choose to specialise in maintenance by undertaking standards covering condition assessment of electricity supply wooden, concrete and steel pole structures; line patrols; and the selection of materials, including knowledge of corrosion and its prevention.

People undertaking this qualification are engineers, technologists and technicians and as such will already have extensive experience of, and the self discipline required to undertake, the study and tasks at the high level required to obtain this qualification. They will have the ability to undertake self-directed learning and have the intellectual independence and analytic rigour required to understand and evaluate new knowledge and ideas. Controlling design and construction project expenditure and undertaking project management demands a high degree of autonomy and responsibility, while selecting overhead line routes and designing overhead lines involves a high degree of self-determination.

This qualification provides for the professional development of engineers, technologists and technicians from engineering disciplines such as mechanical, civil, structural and electrical to progress to a career pathway in high voltage line construction and maintenance. Whilst this qualification does not lead on to any other national qualification, this qualification may be a pathway to advanced studies in other engineering disciplines.