RPL for Certificate III in Process Manufacturing

Certificate III in Process Manufacturing takes 21 units. Through Recognition of Prior Learning, each unit is assessed on evidence of work you have already done rather than on training you sit through.

What the assessment looks at

Every unit sets out what you must be able to do and what you must know. An assessor works through them one at a time, asking the same question each time: does this person's evidence show they can do this reliably, in a real workplace, recently enough to count?

You can read the full requirements for MSM30116 on the national training register. They are public, and worth a look before you spend anything — if the units describe work you have never done, RPL is not your route.

Evidence worth gathering before you start

• Photos of completed jobs, ideally showing a few stages of the same job, with their original dates intact.
• Job sheets, dockets, work orders or site diaries covering a spread of jobs.
• Supervisors, employers or clients who will confirm specifically what you did.
• Any licences or tickets you already hold.

How the guided process works

You work through the 21 units one at a time, talking about jobs you have actually done. You can speak rather than type. Add photos as you find them, and stop whenever you like — progress saves itself, and most people spread this over weeks while they dig out records. At the end you have an evidence portfolio your RTO's assessor can work through.

What this does not do

It does not assess you, and it cannot promise you MSM30116. An assessor at a registered training organisation makes that decision and may require further evidence or training. What a complete portfolio buys you is a fair assessment rather than a rejection over paperwork.

See what MSM30116 involves →

The 21 units you complete, chosen from these 91

You do not do all 91. Certificate III in Process Manufacturing is 4 core units, which everyone does, plus 17 chosen from the 87 electives below. Read both lists before you spend anything — it is the fastest way to tell whether RPL is your route. If most of this describes work you have done, you have a case to make. If whole sections describe work you have never touched, an assessor will say so, and doing the course is the honest answer.

Worth knowing: 4 of them have a prerequisite unit, so the order you gather evidence in matters; 17 carry licensing or regulatory notes, which differ by state and are worth checking before you start.

Core units — everyone does these

• MSMENV272 — Participate in environmentally sustainable work practices
• MSMSUP210 — Process and record information
• MSMWHS200 — Work safely
• MSS402051 — Apply quality standards

Electives — you choose from these

• FWPCOT2238 — Cut materials with a hand-held chainsaw
• HLTAID011 — Provide First Aid
• MEM03001B — Perform manual production assembly
• MEM03006B — Set assembly stations
• MEM09002B — Interpret technical drawing
• MEM09204A — Produce basic engineering detail drawings
• MEM11005B — Pick and process order
• MEM11006B — Perform production packaging
• MEM11007B — Administer inventory procedures
• MEM12023A — Perform engineering measurements
• MEM13003B — Work safely with industrial chemicals and materials
• MEM15001B — Perform basic statistical quality control
• MEM15003B — Use improvement processes in team activities
• MEM15004B — Perform inspection
• MEM16006A — Organise and communicate information
• MEM16007A — Work with others in a manufacturing, engineering or related environment
• MEM16008A — Interact with computing technology
• MEM18001C — Use hand tools
• MEM18002B — Use power tools/hand held operations
• MSL973013 — Perform basic tests
• MSMBIO301 — Process biomass using pyrolyser
• MSMBIO302 — Ferment biomaterial to produce bioproducts
• MSMBIO303 — Distil bioproducts
• MSMBIO304 — Separate and recover bioproducts
• MSMENV172 — Identify and minimise environmental hazards
• MSMOPS100 — Use equipment
• MSMOPS101 — Make measurements
• MSMOPS102 — Perform tasks to support production
• MSMOPS200 — Operate equipment
• MSMOPS212 — Use organisation computers or data systems
• MSMOPS244 — Lay out and cut materials
• MSMOPS301 — Treat corrosion
• MSMOPS363 — Organise on-site work
• MSMPER200 — Work in accordance with an issued permit
• MSMPER201 — Monitor and control work permits
• MSMPER202 — Observe permit work
• MSMPER205 — Enter confined space
• MSMPER300 — Issue work permits
• MSMPMC308 — Operate slip casting equipment
• MSMPMC309 — Finish products after firing
• MSMPMC310 — Hand mould products
• MSMPMC311 — Operate a firing kiln
• MSMPMC312 — Operate glass finishing equipment
• MSMPMC403 — Set up and optimise glass forming process
• MSMSUP100 — Apply workplace context to own job
• MSMSUP101 — Clean workplace or equipment
• MSMSUP106 — Work in a team
• MSMSUP200 — Achieve work outcomes
• MSMSUP204 — Pack products or materials
• MSMSUP205 — Transfer loads
• MSMSUP230 — Monitor process operations
• MSMSUP240 — Undertake minor maintenance
• MSMSUP273 — Handle goods
• MSMSUP280 — Manage conflict at work
• MSMSUP291 — Participate in continuous improvement
• MSMSUP292 — Sample and test materials and product
• MSMSUP300 — Identify and apply process improvements
• MSMSUP301 — Apply HACCP to the workplace
• MSMSUP303 — Identify equipment faults
• MSMSUP309 — Maintain and organise workplace records
• MSMSUP310 — Contribute to the development of workplace documentation
• MSMSUP330 — Develop and adjust a production schedule
• MSMSUP382 — Provide coaching/mentoring in the workplace
• MSMSUP383 — Facilitate a team
• MSMSUP390 — Use structured problem-solving tools
• MSMWHS100 — Follow WHS procedures
• MSMWHS110 — Follow emergency response procedures
• MSMWHS201 — Conduct hazard analysis
• MSMWHS205 — Control minor incidents
• MSMWHS210 — Undertake first response to non-fire incidents
• MSMWHS212 — Undertake first response to fire incidents
• MSMWHS216 — Operate breathing apparatus
• MSMWHS217 — Gas test atmospheres
• MSMWHS218 — Control the risks of falls
• MSMWHS300 — Facilitate the implementation of WHS for a work group
• MSS402002 — Sustain process improvements
• MSS402020 — Apply quick changeover procedures
• MSS402021 — Apply Just in Time procedures
• MSS402040 — Apply 5S procedures
• MSS402050 — Monitor process capability
• MSS402080 — Undertake root cause analysis
• MSS402082 — Apply cost factors to work practices
• MSS402083 — Use planning software systems in operations
• MSTGN3009 — Coordinate work of team or section
• PMBHAN103 — Shift materials safely by hand
• TAEDEL301 — Provide work skill instruction
• TLID2010 — Operate a forklift

Each unit breaks down further into elements and performance criteria — the specific things you have to be able to show. The guide works through them one unit at a time and asks about jobs you have actually done, rather than making you read the register yourself.

Related qualifications

Same training package, and a common second choice for people who find this one is not quite their trade:

• Certificate III in Fenestration (MSM30418, 14 units)
• Certificate III in Manufactured Mineral Products (MSM30325, 18 units)
• Certificate III in Surface Preparation and Coating Application (MSM30216, 31 units)

More RPL in electrotechnology and energy

Every qualification in this industry, which of them have a guide ready, and what assessors here accept as evidence: RPL in electrotechnology and energy.

When you are ready, see what MSM30116 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.