New Zealand Certificate in Mechanical Engineering

New Zealand Certificate in Mechanical Engineering

New Zealand Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Level 3)

This course is for people who are interested in a career in fabrication, welding and general engineering. It will set you up with the fundamentals you will need to then progress into an industry apprenticeship. 

Enrol
Enrol via email
Enquire
Key Details
Invercargill
Qualification:
Certificate
Level:
3
Credits:
120
Duration:

One year full-time

Study Modes:
On Campus
Dates:

2025 Semester 1: 17 February to 21 November
Fees:

This programme is eligible for the Zero Fees Scheme.

  • No Tuition Fees
  • Direct Material Costs $2,684.00 (GST inclusive).
  • The SIT Zero Fees Scheme (ZFS) is subject to NZ government policies

International Fees can be found here.

This qualification will help you develop the skills needed to work within the industry as a Mechanical Engineering Apprentice. This qualification is beneficial when applying for apprenticeships and employers find the skills and experience gained on this course as desirable.

You will learn:

  • Fabrication
  • Welding
  • Machining
  • General Engineering
  • Drawings including Computer Aided Drawing
MET300 Mechanical Engineering Health and Safety
Work safely, applying an understanding of relevant Health and Safety requirements and safety culture, when carrying out engineering tasks.
MET310 Mechanical Engineering Drawing and Calculations
Apply basic trade related numeracy literacy and visualisation skills to perform engineering tasks.
MET320 Mechanical Engineering Workshop Basics
Perform a defined range of engineering tasks according to instructions using relevant materials, tools and equipment.
MET330 Mechanical Engineering Materials
The student will be able to describe a range of materials commonly used in the engineering industry, outline their properties, uses and characteristics.
MET340 Mechanical Engineering Foundation Processes
The student will be able to complete basic machining, fabrication and assembly operations under supervision. They will also be able to safely lift and reposition a range of loads including heavy items.
MET350 Welding for Mechanical Engineers
The student will be able to complete a range of common steel welding and cutting operations.
MET360 Mechanical Engineering Process and Quality
The student will be able to describe the different roles in a typical engineering workplace, understand efficient and effective process and apply knowledge of quality checks to their own work.
MET370 Mechanical Engineering Communication and CAD
The student will be able to apply effective communication techniques in a range of mechanical engineering contexts including the creation of concise CAD files.

Graduates from this qualification will be able to progress into industry roles including apprenticeships in the following:

  • Specialist Production Welder
  • Machine Operator
  • CNC Machine Operator
  • Metal Worker/Fabricator
  • Ducting Fabricator
  • Pipe Fitter/Welder
  • Metal Polisher
  • Pattern Maker Trade Assistant

School Leavers

  • NCEA Level 2 (recommended), minimum 10 credits NCEA Level 1 in both literacy and numeracy
  • Three years’ minimum secondary education
  • Desire to work in the mechanical engineering industry

Mature Applicants

Applicants over the age of 20 years at time of enrolment will be considered where they can demonstrate the ability to succeed in a programme. Examples of demonstration of ability to succeed are the provision of evidence of successful completion of a programme of study at Level 2 or above in a related discipline and/or employment in the related sector for one or more years. They may be admitted subject to programme regulations approved by the Head of Faculty in consultation with the Programme Manager as appropriate. Personal commitment and a belief in one’s own ability to succeed are important personal traits and will always be taken into consideration during the selection process.

English Language Requirements

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following

NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or

an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A- level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or

Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA),or Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL);or

Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand,,Australia,Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or

Successful completion of a Bachelor's Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters' Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or

Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required of the programme of study and with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years preceding the proposed date of enrolment


IELTS test - General or Academic score of 5 with no band score lower than 5
TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 500 (with an essay score of 4 TWE)
TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 35 (with a writing score of 14)
Cambridge English Examination - B2 First or B2 First for schools with a score of 154. No less than 154 in each skill.
OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200 in all sub-tests
NZCEL - a) Expiring Level b) Current: a) Level 3 (General) or (Workplace) b) Level 3 (General)
Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE (Academic) score of 36 with no band score lower than 36
Language Cert - B1 Achiever International ESOL Written (LRW) PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS
Trinity ISE - ISE I with no less than distinction in any band

* New versions of some NZCEL qualifications, and in some cases new qualifications, were published on 13 June 2017. These are intended to replace pre-existing versions and qualifications, which have been given expiring status until discontinued on 31 December 2019. (a) denotes expiring (b) denotes current

To satisfactorily complete New Zealand Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Level 3) and be awarded this qualification the student must have successfully:

  • Acheived minimum of 120 credits in accordance with the programme schedule for the New Zealand Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Level 3).
  • Completed required practical and theoretical programme work and assignments.
  • The student will normally be expected to complete the New Zealand Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Level 3) full-time over one year or part-time over two years.

(Please note; students failing to attend for 80% of timetabled programme hours may forfeit zero fees entitlement)

Three days per week class time: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 8.00am-5.00pm. Two days work experience.

Suggested Courses