Welcome to FAQ

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General questions

01

What is Building Information Modelling (BIM)?

According to BSI Group, BIM is a process for creating and managing all of the information on a project through the whole life cycle of a built asset, from initial design to construction, maintaining and finally decommissioning through digital modelling. BIM is all about collaboration - between engineers, owners, architects and contractors in a three-dimensional virtual construction environment (shared data environment), and it shares information across these disciplines.

BIM allows design and construction teams to communicate about design and coordinate information across different levels that has been unseen before. This information remains with the project, from before beginning construction, right throughout its lifetime. It also helps to analyse any potential impacts.

The use of BIM can be in a wide range of projects such as a new building or railway infrastructure. The use goes beyond the planning and design phase of the project, extending throughout the building life cycle, supporting processes including cost management, construction management, project management and facility operation.

The short courses aim to help to upskill individuals who want to start or curve their career within BIM spaces. The short courses are open for anyone interested in upskilling themselves and continuously be on the par with BIM knowledge and standards globally.

The short courses are not accredited by the Council on Higher Education and South African Qualification Authority. However, the short courses are taken from the curricula that have been submitted for accreditation with both CHE and SAQA. The short courses are delivered in partnership with professional bodies and academics from overseas universities.

Yes. All our short courses are online. However, we have built into our model some form of learning support. We have made online learning support into our short courses available to you.

There are no admission requirements for the short courses.

You can find our registration form to enrol for the short courses on our website. You must complete your registration form online. The good news is that you have an option to save your application to proceed at a later stage. Please be aware of the short courses starting dates.

Application is always open in line with the short courses starting dates. Admission into short courses in instant after making payments successfully.

You can research the field of BIM to learn more about the role and responsibilities. Alternatively, you can book a session with our qualified career counsellors for career assessment and suggestions. NOTE: Please do not consider our assessment and suggestions as career advice.

You are required to register online. The short courses starting dates are on the main page of this website.

You can do as many short courses as you wish and be able to manage the workload. However, you are advised to start with the short courses at the beginners level before you pick short courses at an advanced level.

All the short courses are 8 weeks long.

Whenever you are ready, they all have different starting dates. Please visit our short courses main page for more information.

The role of an Enrollment Adviser is to ensure that the learning outcomes of the course match your needs. The Enrollment Adviser can answer any questions you may have relating to the course and the learning outcomes. To speak to an Enrollment Adviser, please complete the course query form .

You cannot take a break from short courses. You can either complete short courses or not complete them. Those who complete them will receive certificates of attendance. There is no pass and fail in short courses.

You can cancel your registration anytime, provided that you follow the procedures and processes stipulated in our cancellation policy, including penalties. You can submit this request via your online portal.

Yes. You can amend short courses if you follow the procedures and processes stipulated in our cancellation policies. You can submit this request via your online portal.

A prerequisite is a prior condition that should happen before one can be allowed to proceed. Some of the short courses may require a completion of another short course before registration.

No. You cannot register for more than one BIM programme simultaneously. However, this option to register for more than one programme (not a BIM programme) may be available in the future if we decide to offer other programmes outside our BIM programmes.

No. Activation of the students online portal is part of the registration process.

We have contracted a service provider who is available 24/7 to assist all our students with online portal challenges. Click here for the guidelines and instructions.

Yes. We have shared with our student's guidelines and instructions on how to use our student online portal. Click here for the guidelines and instructions.

Yes. We have shared our guidelines and instructions on how to use our online portal. Click here for the guidelines and instructions.

We do not own the licences of software that we are using in our short courses. However, we have agreements in place with software owners. These agreements allow us to use their software for learning and training purposes.

The Institute will provide a list of prescribed readings that are available online.

Trident Engineering Institute has contracted with EdAid, an approved third party Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorized platform, to offer you the option to register now and pay for your course, over time, in six interest-free installments. Trident Engineering Institute in its sole discretion works with EdAid to offer part payment plans on certain courses under certain circumstances in certain geographies.

We have included indicative study hours required per each short course. You can find this information on your short course outlines.

We use DP requirements to monitor your performance in each course. The monitoring of your DP requirements helps us to intervene on time before things become bad. Unfortunately, you will not be allowed to sit for an examination without meeting the DP requirement for your course. However, it will not be the end since you can choose to repeat the course.

There are no examinations for short courses. Your certificate of completion will be based on your individual and group projects submissions and your short course attendance.

There are no supplementary examinations in short courses.

Currently the Institute does not have study loans and payment plans. The Institute will introduce study loans and payment plans in the near future.

The Institute is working on collaborating with businesses and public organisations that are keen to buy short courses and donate to people who meet their donation criteria.

The Institute is owned by the Nexim International Development Organisation (Nido) trust, a registered charitable trust in South Africa. The revenue generated by the Trust will fund the Nido Trust Bursaries and the Henry Lukenge Fellowship for the accredited programmes targeting high school graduates.

Yes. Our payment processing is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant with ultramodern risk management. It can accept more than 20 currencies and presence in more than 20 countries in Africa. It services organisations in e-commerce, hospitality, schools, airlines, insurance, travel and tourism. You can report fraudulent activities at our payment processor via your online portal or email: support@peachpayments.com

You are required to make payments for the short courses you have registered for in advance.

You will need a computer, a laptop or a tablet and enough space to operate software such as Revit. It is practically impossible to study our distance learning programmes without a computer, a laptop or a tablet.

The use of the internet is up to you. The Institute is working with network operators to secure zero rated connectivity in some of its learning management systems.

Yes. We have embedded the use of technology-based and web-based services and the related materials to make learners' support and services easily accessible by the registered learners of the Institute. This support includes group and individual tutorials.

We embrace your uniqueness. We value differences. The reasons our inclusive policies acknowledge the differences whilst at the same time using them to build a community. You are part of a community and our values.

The Institute encourages learners to consider professional membership with professional bodies such as the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

Yes. You will receive your certification of completion 10 working days after the last day of your short courses. Certification of completion will not have to pass or fail but a confirmation that you have attended the requirements amount of short courses and submitted the required amount of short courses activities.

There is no graduation ceremony for short courses.

© 2022 Trident | Engineering Institute

© 2022 Trident | Engineering Institute