New Zealand Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Level 3)

The manufacturing, maintenance, and technology industries are in need of skilled tradespeople. This qualification will prepare you for an apprenticeship in your chosen field such as a fabricator, sheet-metal worker, steel construction, or fitter-welder.

It provides a solid foundation in engineering and fabrication skills such as measurement, tools, materials and metals, engineering sketching and drawing, trade calculations, welding processes, fitting, assembly, scaffolding, basic fabrication operations, forces and stresses, pressure vessels, pattern development, computer numerical control, job costing and first aid, occupational health and safety.

You will cover heavy fabrication, light fabrication, or steel construction and building services.

Heavy Fabrication is intended for fabricators working with heavier gauge plate, sections and pipes, to produce a wide variety of products including pressure vessels.

Light Fabrication is for fabricators working with sheet metals and lighter gauge plate, sections and pipes to produce a large variety of metal products.

Steel Construction is similar to the Heavy Fabrication strand, but is specifically for fabricators who manufacture and install structural steel components for building and civil engineering projects.

This programme includes a minimum of 40 hours' industry experience.

Career opportunities

This qualification is to provide the mechanical engineering, construction, manufacturing, and fabrication industries with people who have sufficient underpinning knowledge, understanding, and practical skill to work under limited supervision as operators or trade assistants within their chosen discipline.

It is designed for people already working in the industry or people intending to complete a pre-trade qualification before entering the industry.

Graduates of this qualification will be able to work (under limited supervision) in an operator or trade assistant role in their area of specialisation, in the mechanical engineering, construction, mechanical building services, manufacturing, or fabrication industries.

Roles may include: Light Fabrication Engineer, Heavy Fabrication Engineering, Construction Engineer, Sheet Metal Engineer, Engineering Machinist, Metal Machine Setter, Metal Turner, Fitter and Turner, CNC Operator, Maintenance Engineer, General Engineer, Toolmaker, Machinist, Metal Former or Fabricator/Welder.

Further training or study

Graduates will be capable of performing a defined range of engineering tasks under limited supervision.

During the course of this programme students will gain an exposure to a range of options available to them in the discipline of mechanical engineering. These include machining, engineering fabrication both light and heavy, mechanical building services and welding.

On completion students will be able to make an informed decision as to the strand of mechanical engineering they wish to pursue in their apprenticeship. Students will enter into the second year of their apprenticeship with the ITO Competenz, having already completed the year one pre-requisites of an apprenticeship.

Competenz offer an apprenticeship programmes including National Certificate in: Engineering, Fabrication (heavy, light or steel construction strand), and National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering, with strands in Fitting & Machining, General Engineering, Machining, Maintenance Engineering, or Tool making.