Commissioners Information Bulletin 392
Issued: 12 December 2008

Manufacturing Technology - Establishment of the traineeship vocation of Manufacturing Technology

The Commissioner for Vocational Training, in consultation with Manufacturing Skills Australia (MSA), has established the traineeship vocation of Manufacturing Technology and has made the Vocational Training Order (VTO) for that vocation.

The VTO specifies a number of matters including the terms of training, probationary periods, competency outcomes and courses of study to be undertaken.

A copy of the VTO is at Attachment A.

MSA07 Manufacturing Training Package (version 3)

The MSA07 Manufacturing Training Package has ten qualifications ranging from Certificate II to Advanced Diploma. The qualifications cover Competitive Manufacturing (five) and Manufacturing Technology (five).

Qualifications

For the purpose of the new VTO, Manufacturing Technology trainees in New South Wales will have the option of gaining the following qualifications:

• MSA30208 Certificate III in Manufacturing Technology   
• MSA40108 Certificate IV in Manufacturing Technology
• MSA50108 Diploma of Manufacturing Technology
• MSA60108 Advanced Diploma of Manufacturing Technology

The packaging and structure requirements for each qualification are outlined in Attachment B.

Jobs in Manufacturing Technology

Computer Aided Drafting (CAD)/Drafting trainees learn both CAD and traditional drafting principles as well as information technology, manufacturing processes and operations. On finishing, the trainee can be employed as a Detailed Draftsperson or CAD Operator.

Manufacturing Operations trainees learn industrial engineering, production planning and supervision and teamwork principles. On finishing, the trainee can be employed as a Production Planner, estimator or continue through further on and off the job study to a management role.

Laboratory Operations trainees are prepared for a career in laboratory operations and associated quality and testing functions. On finishing, the trainee can be employed as a Junior Scientific Officer or a Technician.

Technical Officer trainees learn a mixture of general manufacturing based skills as well as specific technical knowledge in areas such as rubber, plastics, or cast metal units. On finishing, the trainee can be employed as a Technical Officer in their relevant industry.

Polymer provides trainees with opportunities in the plastics, rubber and cablemaking processing industries to develop high level technical skills in their workplace. The trainees learn a wide variety of competencies most of which are complex and non routine. The skills involve planning, developing procedures, training and practice evaluation.

Metallurgy trainees learn how to experiment, analyse and interpret the structure and engineering properties of raw and processed materials.  They learn techniques for extracting metals and alloys by high temperature smelting or leach precipitation, how to organise the recovery of samples from various stages of processing for laboratory analysis and testing. 

As well as technical skills trainees at the Diploma and Advanced levels learn to prepare cost budgets of operations, to work out the financial possibility of the processes, to supervise and co-ordinate workers in the process of extracting metals and alloys.

Additional comments

MSA has advises that traineeships linked to the Manufacturing Technology qualifications will be promoted within the context of a Technology Cadetship.

The Technology Cadetship is an initiative of the Australian Industry Group. It is designed to encourage more school leavers to pursue careers in the manufacturing industry. For more information refer to Australian Industry Group.

Industrial arrangements

Applications under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001 to establish any apprenticeship or traineeship will not be approved unless the Commissioner is satisfied that appropriate industrial arrangements are in place.

Industrial arrangements under which Manufacturing Technology trainees can be employed are listed at Attachment C.

School based traineeships

MSA has advised that Manufacturing Technology qualifications are not suitable as school based, part-time traineeships.

For school based, part-time traineeships being delivered in New South Wales refer to School Based Traineeships.

For further information about the delivery of training for school based traineeships refer to Training Arrangements.

Licensing arrangements

There are no currently identified licensing requirements impacting on these proposed traineeship arrangements.

Learning resources and assessment materials

The Manufacturing Technology qualifications contain many new units of competency as well as some imported from other Training Packages. There have been learning and assessment resources prepared for seven units of competency as exemplars of typical non-endorsed components that could be used. These resources are freely available via the Resource Generator which provides trainers and assessors with access to information about units of competency, qualifications and learning resources.  

Availability of Registered Training Organisations

For a list of Registered Training Organisations in New South Wales who can deliver training for qualifications from the MSA07 Manufacturing Training Package refer to National Training Information Services

Funding of higher level qualifications

From 1 January 2009, funding of training delivery for diploma and advanced diploma qualifications will be considered on a case by case basis. Submissions for funding must be made to the New South Wales Department of Education and Training by an Industry Training Advisory Body on behalf of the industry sector/s they represent.

For further information, telephone the Business Services Unit, State Training Services on (02) 9266 8008.

Note: This Commissioner’s Information Bulletin (CIB) supersedes references to Manufacturing Technology contained in CIB 267.

For any enquiries regarding this CIB, please contact the Vocational Training Tribunal Unit on (02) 9266 8579.

PHILLIP MOORE
Commissioner for Vocational Training