RPL for Certificate III in Surface Preparation and Coating Application

Certificate III in Surface Preparation and Coating Application takes 31 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 MSM30216 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 31 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 MSM30216. 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 MSM30216 involves →

The 31 units you complete, chosen from these 67

You do not do all 67. Certificate III in Surface Preparation and Coating Application is 11 core units, which everyone does, plus 20 chosen from the 56 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: 8 of them have a prerequisite unit, so the order you gather evidence in matters; 42 carry licensing or regulatory notes, which differ by state and are worth checking before you start.

Core units — everyone does these

• MEM12023A — Perform engineering measurements
• MEM12024A — Perform computations
• MEM14004A — Plan to undertake a routine task
• MEM14005A — Plan a complete activity
• MEM15002A — Apply quality systems
• MEM15024A — Apply quality procedures
• MEM16006A — Organise and communicate information
• MEM16007A — Work with others in a manufacturing, engineering or related environment
• MEM16008A — Interact with computing technology
• MSMENV272 — Participate in environmentally sustainable work practices
• MSMWHS200 — Work safely

Electives — you choose from these

• MEM07001B — Perform operational maintenance of machines/equipment
• MEM08002C — Pre-treat work for subsequent surface coating
• MEM08007B — Control surface finish production and finished product quality
• MEM08011B — Prepare surfaces using solvents and/or mechanical means
• MEM08012B — Prepare surfaces by abrasive blasting (basic)
• MEM08013B — Prepare surfaces by abrasive blasting (advanced)
• MEM08014B — Apply protective coatings (basic)
• MEM08015B — Apply protective coatings (advanced)
• MEM08016B — Control blast coating by-products, materials and emissions
• MEM11001C — Erect/dismantle scaffolding and equipment
• MEM11002C — Erect/dismantle complex scaffolding and equipment
• MEM11003B — Coordinate erection/dismantling of complex scaffolding/equipment
• MEM11004B — Undertake dogging
• MEM11010B — Operate mobile load shifting equipment
• MEM11011B — Undertake manual handling
• MEM11012B — Purchase materials
• MEM11016B — Order materials
• MEM11021B — Perform advanced operation of load shifting equipment
• MEM11022B — Operate fixed/moveable load shifting equipment
• MEM12001B — Use comparison and basic measuring devices
• MEM13001B — Perform emergency first aid
• MEM13003B — Work safely with industrial chemicals and materials
• MEM15003B — Use improvement processes in team activities
• MEM15004B — Perform inspection
• MEM15005B — Select and control inspection processes and procedures
• MEM16002C — Conduct formal interviews and negotiations
• MEM16005A — Operate as a team member to conduct manufacturing, engineering or related activities
• MEM16011A — Communicate with individuals and small groups
• MEM16013A — Operate in a self-directed team
• MEM17001B — Assist in development and deliver training in the workplace
• MEM17003A — Assist in the provision of on the job training
• MEM18001C — Use hand tools
• MEM18002B — Use power tools/hand held operations
• MSMOPS301 — Treat corrosion
• MSMOPS363 — Organise on-site work
• MSMPER200 — Work in accordance with an issued permit
• MSMPER202 — Observe permit work
• MSMPER205 — Enter confined space
• MSMPER300 — Issue work permits
• MSMSUP100 — Apply workplace context to own job
• MSMSUP303 — Identify equipment faults
• MSMSUP390 — Use structured problem-solving tools
• MSMWHS201 — Conduct hazard analysis
• MSMWHS216 — Operate breathing apparatus
• MSMWHS217 — Gas test atmospheres
• MSMWJ202 — Use high pressure water jetting equipment
• MSMWJ304 — Operate a high pressure water jetting system
• MSMWJ305 — Operate a drain cleaning system
• MSMWJ306 — Operate a vacuum loading system
• MSMWJ307 — Operate a hydro excavation system
• PMBPROD241 — Lay up rubber lining or lag pulleys
• PMBPROD242 — Bond polymers to surfaces
• PMBPROD248 — Prepare surfaces for coating
• PMBPROD265 — Operate portable vulcanising equipment
• PMBPROD323 — Produce powder coated products
• PMBPROD375 — Vulcanise products using an autoclave

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 Process Manufacturing (MSM30116, 21 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 MSM30216 costs and what the guide asks you for, or read what counts as evidence and how RPL compares with doing the course.