Enhancing your engineering career with post-trade training

Thousands of Queenslanders study their engineering apprenticeship each year with TAFE Queensland, but less go on to enhance their career with post-trade training at Australia’s top training provider. While completing an apprenticeship is a tremendous achievement, in the ever-changing engineering industry it is just the beginning.

Post-trade training can usually be completed around work hours and allows experienced industry members to enhance their skills and broaden their scope of work and career opportunities. As engineering and other industries across Queensland change in coming years, a broader range of digital skills will be required of industry workers including Computer Aided Design (CAD) and CNC programming.

TAFE Queensland offers a range of post-trade training options aligned to these skills, including the Certificate III in Manufacturing Technology – CAD (MSA30208) which is available under the Queensland and Australian Governments’ Fee-Free TAFE initiative at no cost to eligible Queenslanders.

This course is delivered online with optional on-campus tutoring available with expert TAFE Queensland teachers, and gives students specialist knowledge in CAD which can be used to greatly diversify the employment opportunities available to them.

Business Manager of Engineering Training at TAFE Queensland’s flagship Acacia Ridge campus, Kevin Roos, says the course is a perfect upskill opportunity for engineering workers looking to enhance their career with a post-trade qualification.

“Gaining skills in CAD will drastically broaden the scope of work and the businesses that you can work in as an engineer, with many businesses prioritising workers who can run projects from start to finish,” Mr Roos said.

“This course builds on the skills taught across an apprenticeship and develops skills from interpreting technical drawings into producing basic technical drawings and 3D models,” he said.

Another popular post-trade course in the engineering industry is the Introduction to CNC - CNC Operations (NONAC03098) which provides students with an understanding of basic coding and enables them to apply principles to a variety of different models and machines.

This one month course would be suitable to engineering professionals looking to gain a basic understanding of CNC so they can hit the ground running in a new role which requires on the job CNC learning and development.

For engineering professionals looking to transition away from working on the tools, a Certificate IV in Engineering Drafting (MEM40422) will deliver the skills required to become a technical officer or draftsperson in the industry. This course is delivered online with optional on-campus practical training available for students who prefer to learn in a physical classroom setting.

The next step in an engineering career available at TAFE Queensland is the Diploma of Engineering – Technical (MEM50222), which advances students’ skills in mathematics, materials science, quality assurance, engineering drawing and computing, and management and maintenance strategies.

The online course, available in a self-directed delivery mode or with on-campus practical training at TAFE Queensland’s Acacia Ridge campus, requires approximately 15 hours per week from students and takes one to two years to complete.

Also available is the Advanced Diploma of Engineering (MEM60122), which requires a similar commitment from students to the Diploma of Engineering – Technical.

Offered by TAFE Queensland online with additional on-campus practical training, this course provides students with detailed drafting and design skills, and teaches them higher level engineering concepts where strong foundations in mathematics and physics can help transition students into professional careers. 

Students will also develop their knowledge of engineering processes and principles, project management, quality systems, and team building.  Completion of the advanced Diploma of Engineering can provide credits for further tertiary studies in engineering.

Mr Roos says that with so many upskill opportunities in the engineering industry at TAFE Queensland, industry members are spoilt for choice.

“Engineering is such a wide-ranging industry and an apprenticeship is just the beginning, and TAFE Queensland has so many post-trade courses on offer to enhance your career,” Mr Roos said.

“There are options for workers at all stages of their career and all corners of the industry, and TAFE Queensland’s industry expert teachers are passionate about passing on the skills to enhance careers.”

“For those interested themselves in passing on their trade skills to the next generation, the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40122) is available for eligible Queenslanders under the Fee-Free TAFE initiative and will qualify them to become a teacher at TAFE Queensland,” he said.