The purpose of this qualification is to provide the engineering fabrication industry with skilled tradespeople who are able to safely and independently perform fabrication and welding tasks within their chosen discipline, to industry standards.
This qualification is intended for people already working within the industry to gain a credential that will enhance their employment opportunities and/or people that wish to enter the engineering fabrication industry.
Graduates will be able to operate independently as engineering fabrication tradespeople within their chosen discipline, in the engineering fabrication and manufacturing industries.

Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

- Apply relevant Health and Safety legislation and knowledge of the workplace safety culture in order to work safely and meet responsibilities in a commercial engineering fabrication environment.
- Produce and interpret engineering sketches, simple component drawings, fabrication patterns for simple three-dimensional objects, and/or specifications for the engineering fabrication task being undertaken.
- Apply knowledge of trade calculations and units of measurement to perform a range of engineering fabrication tasks.
- Apply knowledge of the composition and characteristics, of engineering materials to select and optimise their use through job planning and sequencing tasks.
- Determine available and appropriate manufacturing and engineering processes, tools and equipment, and demonstrate knowledge of alternative engineering processes to suit a range of engineering fabrication tasks.
- Interpret knowledge of basic engineering job operations, planning and sequencing for job costing and pricing, with consideration to efficiency and economical processing options.
- Apply knowledge of relevant engineering fabrication principles and practices that include mistake proofing, and distortion control, by using problem-solving skills for fault finding and root cause analysis, to perform engineering tasks efficiently and effectively while working to specifications and industry standards.
- Select and inspect simple lifting appliances and slings, to safely secure a load and carry out lifting procedures.
- Correctly use and maintain engineering fabrication tools and equipment, monitoring their condition for safe and effective operation to ensure accuracy, minimise damage to work, and to prevent accidents.
- Cut engineering fabrication materials using mechanical and thermal cutting equipment including manual and mechanised processes, applying knowledge of distortion control, to an appropriate industry standard in a commercial engineering fabrication environment.
- Form and shape engineering fabrication materials using manual and mechanised processes, applying knowledge of distortion control and damage minimisation, to an appropriate industry standard in a commercial engineering fabrication environment.
- Apply the welding processes of gas metal arc welding (GMAW), manual metal arc welding (MMAW), flux cored arc welding (FCAW), and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), in relevant welding positions, and applying distortion control methods, to safely weld steel and steel structures and other metals to an appropriate industry standard in a commercial engineering fabrication environment.
- Apply knowledge of effective and efficient manufacturing models, the processes and principles of quality systems and how these are applied in the production of components and/or for the provision of services in a commercial engineering fabrication environment, to deliver in full, on time and to specification.
- Practise effective communication with awareness of other cultures and languages, to confirm and clarify instructions, communicate health and safety matters, and understand workplace documentation, within an engineering fabrication team and the wider workplace.
- Self-manage on-going learning, seeking advice or guidance when required while maintaining acceptable standards across the engineering fabrication industry.

Graduates of the Heavy Fabrication strand will also be able to:
- Produce a range of heavy fabricated products such as, trucks and trailers, earthmoving machinery, manufacturing equipment, and pressure vessels from heavy gauge plate, sections, and pipes using current techniques appropriate to, specific welding processes and appropriate welding positions, use of equipment and tools required to work heavy materials.

Graduates of the Light Fabrication strand will also be able to:
- Produce a range of light fabricated products such as ducting, architectural fixtures, and balustrading, and the manufacture and repair of plant and equipment in the food and marine industries, vessels and pipework, from light gauge sheet, sections, and process pipes using the appropriate tools and current relevant techniques.

Graduates of the Steel Construction strand will also be able to:
- Produce and install a range of structural steel elements for building and civil engineering projects, using current techniques appropriate to, specific welding processes and welding positions, use of tools and equipment required to work structural materials, and in the use of access and rigging equipment.

This qualification builds on the New Zealand Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Level 3) [Ref: 2715].
This qualification can lead to the New Zealand Certificate in Mechanical Engineering (Advanced) (Level 5) [Ref: 2716].

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