In general, manufacturing courses are full time but there are many short courses and different study options available depending upon the Australian education provider. To start full-time work within the manufacturing industry, it is recommended that you have completed a Certificate III but a Certificate IV is advised. If you’re considering a career change or undecided on what to study, have a look at the range of courses for manufacturing and what the career entails.
Manufacturing is such a broad, but extremely popular area of study at TAFE and University – as the manufacturing industry continues to grow, so do the number of courses and avenues of study available to students.
Lean manufacturing has become an in-demand career field as companies are looking to become more sustainable; being ‘lean’ in the process refers to eliminating as much waste as possible from the manufacturing process. Waste does not always refer to rubbish; it is instead any activity that does not add value from a customer’s perspective. The result of high-quality lean manufacturing is delivering better products at much lower costs; the best universities for lean manufacturing courses include:
It doesn’t sound like a common career path, but additive manufacturing is actually the official industry-standard term for all applications of technology. It involves joining materials by layering to make objects from 3D model data (the opposite of subtractive manufacturing practises). Additive manufacturing courses online is a popular study option, as when this process is done well, it can significantly reduce material waste, reduce assembly parts and even the amount of production steps. Popular educational institutions include:
The automotive industry has so many different companies and areas of work, manufacturing is only one of them. A career in car manufacturing has dramatically declined in Australia, but for international students or even those willing to work overseas, some of the best courses for the automotive industry include:
Food manufacturing is considered to be a complex industry as it can range from the packaging of consumer goods to raising animals for meat. Technology is heavily shaping this industry as packaging and machines can do preparation. However there are still hundreds of different career paths within food manufacturing, those that don’t involve the production of different food groups include machine operators, supervisors, scientists, machine maintenance technicians and even salespeople. Providers of food manufacturing courses include:
In combining different areas of manufacturing including lean, computer-integrated and flexible, digital manufacturing is centred on computer systems. The overall goal is to link disparate systems and processes across all departments within the value chain, allowing stakeholders being able to make better organisational decisions.
Other careers within the manufacturing process include advanced manufacturing, digital manufacturing, cosmetic manufacturing, garment manufacturing, jewellery manufacturing, manufacturing engineering and even manufacturing management. It is always important to check the course information and the qualification levels required for good manufacturing practice courses for the career path you’re striving for.
