QEAC 1942 · ICEF #4216Certificate III

Certificate III in Engineering Fabrication Trade

Metal fabrication, welding and structural steel — the trade behind construction frames, mining equipment and manufacturing. Welding competence is the part that travels, and it is what employers test.

Advising since 2014Sydney CBD, Parramatta & MelbourneEnglish, 日本語, हिन्दी & ਪੰਜਾਬੀ

At a glance

Level
Certificate IIITrade qualification
Field
Engineering, metal fabricationWelding, structural steel, sheet metal
Study mode
Workshop practical plus theoryDuration and fees vary by provider
Education advice
FreeOur education counsellors are QEAC certified

Engineering and metal trades

What you actually study

Units and delivery differ between providers, so treat this as the shape of the qualification rather than a specific timetable. We get you the actual unit list and schedule from the providers we work with.

Welding processes

MIG, TIG, stick and related processes, to standard and across positions. Demonstrable welding competence is the trade's currency.

Fabrication and assembly

Interpreting drawings, marking out, cutting, forming and assembling to tolerance.

Materials and metallurgy basics

How different metals behave when heated, joined and loaded.

Measurement, safety and inspection

Precision measurement, hot-work safety, and basic weld inspection.

Where it leads

Career outcomes

Roles this qualification is commonly used for in Australia. Employment outcomes depend on your experience, English and the labour market — a qualification opens a door rather than guaranteeing a job.

  • 01

    Metal fabricator

    Structural steel and general fabrication workshops.

  • 02

    Welder

    Construction, manufacturing, mining and maintenance.

  • 03

    Boilermaker

    Heavy fabrication, often with additional certification.

  • 04

    Sheet metal worker

    HVAC, manufacturing and architectural metalwork.

  • 05

    Workshop supervision, later

    With experience and further qualifications.

How we help

Course advice is free. Visa advice is regulated.

We keep the two separate on purpose. Education counselling costs you nothing; immigration assistance is given by a registered agent under the MARA Code of Conduct, and it is charged.

  1. 01

    Free course and provider advice

    Our QEAC-certified education counsellors compare providers, campuses, intake dates and fees against what you actually want. This part costs nothing.

  2. 02

    Application and enrolment

    We handle the provider application through to your offer and Confirmation of Enrolment.

  3. 03

    Your student visa

    Handled by a MARA-registered migration agent, because that is immigration assistance. The Genuine Student requirement and financial evidence are where these applications are decided.

  4. 04

    After you start

    Course progress and attendance conditions, provider transfers done in the right order, and planning the graduate pathway before your final semester rather than after it.

Before you enrol

Entry requirements, and what to confirm

Requirements are set by each provider, not by us. Duration, tuition and campus vary, which is exactly why we compare rather than send everyone to the same college.

  • 01

    English at the provider's required level

    Varies between providers.

  • 02

    Comfort with hot work and machinery

    Welding and cutting are inherently hazardous and taught accordingly.

  • 03

    Safety induction

    Provider requirements vary; hot-work and workshop induction is standard.

  • 04

    Duration, fees and campus

    Vary by provider.

Fees and the honest bit

What this costs

A course does not guarantee a visa or permanent residence. A qualification can support a skills assessment against a nominated occupation, which can in turn support a visa application. Those are separate steps with separate requirements, and skilled occupation lists change.

Course and provider information on this page is general and set by providers; confirm units, duration, fees and intakes with the provider before enrolling. Migration information is general only and is not immigration assistance for your circumstances.

Education counselling: QEAC 1942, ICEF accredited agency #4216. Immigration assistance: MARA-registered migration agent, MARN 1793706. Reviewed August 2026.

Course and provider advice

Education counselling

Comparing providers, campuses, intakes and fees, and handling your application through to a Confirmation of Enrolment.

FreeFor international students

Student visa application

Immigration assistance

Prepared and lodged by a MARA-registered agent, including the Genuine Student responses and financial evidence.

On quoteFixed in writing before work starts

Tuition, provider application fees, OSHC, Department of Home Affairs charges and English tests are separate and not included.

See the full pricing page.

Other courses

Related qualifications

All the courses we place students into are on study in Australia.

Civil Construction

Adv Diploma

Roads, drainage and subdivision design at para-professional level.

Telecommunications

Adv Diploma

Network engineering and telecommunications infrastructure.

Carpentry

Cert III

Structural and finishing carpentry, and a licensed trade pathway.

Questions

What students ask

Course details come from providers and change. Migration answers are general guidance only.

Metal fabrication covers several distinct occupations — fabricator, welder, boilermaker, sheet metal worker — and the right one depends on the duties you actually perform. That choice drives your assessment and your visa options, so make it deliberately.
Employers and projects often require specific welding qualifications or certification beyond the trade certificate, particularly for structural or pressure work. Treat those as an expected addition rather than a surprise.
Metal trades appear regularly in Australian skills shortage reporting. Whether your nominated occupation is on a relevant skilled list at the time you apply is a separate question, and it is the one that matters for a visa.
It varies by provider and study mode, and so do fees. We get you current details.
No course does. It can support a skills assessment, which can support a points-tested or sponsored application. We will be straight with you about how many steps that is.