Fitter and Turner Apprentice Hub
A fitter and turner builds, repairs and maintains the mechanical gear that keeps plants, mines and factories running. The fitting side is pulling apart and rebuilding pumps, gearboxes, conveyors, bearings, seals and drives, then aligning them so they run true. The turning side is machining: making and repairing parts on lathes, mills and CNC machines to tolerances measured in hundredths of a millimetre. Most apprentices end up leaning one way, either maintenance fitter or machinist, but the trade qualification covers both. You will find the work in three main settings: mining and resources (often FIFO or residential in WA and Queensland), manufacturing and maintenance workshops in the cities and regional towns, and utilities, marine and defence work such as power stations, water plants and shipbuilding.
The apprenticeship leads to the Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade (MEM30219), which is still the current code on training.gov.au (Release 4, released September 2025). It runs up to 4 years full time, with off-the-job training at TAFE or an RTO by day release or block release, and the rest of your learning on the job. Completion is competency based, so good apprentices can finish earlier. Demand is strong: Jobs and Skills Australia's 2025 Occupation Shortage List rates Fitter and Turner as in shortage nationally and in every state and territory, and Western Australia holds about 27 per cent of all metal fitters and machinists in the country.
Thinking about it?
Thinking about getting into Fitter and Turner?
How to get in with no experience
You need an employer to take you on as an apprentice, because the Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade (MEM30219) is built to be done through an apprenticeship and most TAFEs will only enrol you with a training contract. Start by finishing Year 10 or better with solid maths and English, as some TAFEs list minimum results for entry. A pre-apprenticeship like the Certificate II in Engineering Pathways, a school-based apprenticeship, or work experience in a workshop gives you a big edge. Then apply directly to engineering workshops and maintenance contractors, through group training organisations that employ apprentices and place them with host employers, and to the mining company programs at BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue, which open intakes once or twice a year. An Apprenticeship Connect Australia provider will help you and your employer sign the training contract and get it registered with your state.
Who it suits
It suits people who like figuring out how things work, are happy getting dirty, and take pride in getting something exactly right. You need decent maths for measurement and calculations, good hand skills, patience, and the discipline to follow safety procedures every single time. It is a good fit if you like a mix of problem solving and physical work, and if you are open to FIFO or regional work, the earning potential is high. It does not suit people who hate early starts, cannot cope with repetitive cleaning and stripping jobs in the early years, or who want to cut corners. If you want to stay in a city and never travel, you can, but you will mostly be in manufacturing or workshop roles where pay is usually lower than mining.
What you can earn
Jobs and Skills Australia's profile for Metal Fitters and Machinists (ANZSCO 3232, the group that includes fitters and turners) shows median full-time earnings of $2,606 a week, or $60 an hour, as at May 2025 ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours data. That compares to $1,852 a week for all occupations. A separate median is not published for Fitter and Turner on its own. The group median is pulled up by mining and long hours: full-time workers in the group average 50 hours a week, and many maintenance fitters on mine sites work 12 hour shifts on FIFO rosters under enterprise agreements. Workshop and manufacturing roles on or near the Manufacturing award usually pay less, while shutdown contracting, mining EBAs and running your own machining or maintenance business can pay more. Check the live figure on Your Career or Jobs and Skills Australia before you rely on it, as JSA is moving to new OSCA-based profiles.
Job outlook
The outlook is strong. On the 2025 Occupation Shortage List, Jobs and Skills Australia rates Fitter and Turner (323212) as in shortage nationally and in every state and territory, along with Fitter (General), Fitter-Welder and Metal Machinist (First Class). Western Australia and Queensland hold more than half of all metal fitters and machinists, which reflects the pull of mining and resources. Future demand is backed by mining maintenance, critical minerals and processing, defence shipbuilding, and energy and water infrastructure. Automation and CNC are changing the machining side, so fitters who can work with condition monitoring, hydraulics and computer-controlled machines will have the most options. The workforce is about 4 per cent female, so women are actively sought by many big employers.
Earnings and outlook are a guide only and change over time. Sources: Jobs and Skills Australia: Metal Fitters and Machinists (ANZSCO 3232) (opens in a new tab), Jobs and Skills Australia: Fitter and Turners (ANZSCO 323212) (opens in a new tab), Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation Shortage List (opens in a new tab), Your Career: Fitter and Turner (opens in a new tab), training.gov.au: MEM30219 Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade (opens in a new tab), South Metropolitan TAFE: Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade (Fitting/machining) (opens in a new tab), Australian Apprenticeships: Apprenticeship Connect Australia providers (opens in a new tab), Fortescue: Apprenticeship and Trainee Programs (opens in a new tab)
Start with these
What apprentices actually do
- •Strip, inspect, repair and rebuild pumps, gearboxes, compressors, conveyors and other mechanical equipment
- •Remove and fit bearings, seals, couplings, belts, chains and mechanical drives
- •Align shafts and machines using dial indicators or laser alignment gear, and level and shim equipment
- •Machine parts on manual lathes, milling machines and CNC machines from engineering drawings
- •Measure parts to fine tolerances with micrometers, verniers, dial indicators and bore gauges
- •Diagnose breakdowns and wear, and do planned maintenance and shutdown work
- •Cut, weld, drill and tap as needed to repair or fabricate brackets, guards and fittings
Same trade, different worlds
Same trade, very different day depending on the kind of work your employer does.
Mining and resources
Maintaining fixed plant like crushers, conveyors, pumps and processing equipment on mine sites, usually on long rosters. This is where the money and the overtime are, and where a lot of apprentices in WA and Queensland end up.
- •Often FIFO or residential on a roster, with 12 hour shifts and shutdown work
- •Big miners like BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue run their own apprentice programs
- •Pay is usually set by an enterprise agreement or company contract, not just the award
- •Strict site safety systems, isolations, permits and site inductions before you touch anything
Manufacturing and maintenance workshops
Machine shops, engineering workshops, food and packaging plants and factories, either making parts or keeping production lines running. This is where most turners and machinists learn their craft.
- •Day shift is common in machine shops, with shift work and call-outs in production maintenance
- •Strong grounding in lathes, mills, CNC, measuring and precision fitting
- •Usually covered by the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award (MA000010) or a site EBA
- •Easier to do from home with no FIFO, but base pay is usually lower than mining
Utilities, marine and defence
Power stations, water and wastewater plants, ports, ship repair and naval shipbuilding. Work is often planned maintenance on big rotating equipment, with a strong safety and documentation culture.
- •Large employers with structured apprentice programs and their own enterprise agreements
- •Turbines, large pumps, valves, compressors and marine propulsion gear
- •Defence and shipbuilding work may need security clearances
- •Good path into planning, reliability and supervision roles later
A day in the life (first year)
- ▹6:30am: sign in, grab your PPE and head to the prestart or toolbox talk where the supervisor runs through the day's jobs and any hazards
- ▹Fill out a take 5 or job safety analysis with your tradie, then isolate and lock out the pump you are working on and test that it is dead
- ▹Strip the pump with your tradie, label and bag the parts, then clean everything in the parts washer while they inspect the wear
- ▹Measure the shaft and bearing fits with a micrometer, write the readings down, and find out why the old bearing failed
- ▹After smoko, on the lathe making a new sleeve to a drawing, with your tradie checking your setup and measurements before you take the final cut
- ▹Afternoon: reassemble, help align the pump to the motor, sweep up, clean and put away your tools, and fill in your timesheet and logbook before knock-off around 3pm
First-year expectations
- →You will spend a lot of time cleaning parts, sweeping, carrying gear and fetching tools. That is normal and it is how you learn what everything is.
- →Precision measuring will feel slow at first. Expect to have readings checked and rechecked until your tradie trusts them.
- →Early starts and physical work. Lifting, kneeling inside machines and working in heat or cold is part of the job.
- →You will not run a job on your own yet. You will always be working with or near a qualified tradie, and any isolation will be done with them.
- →If you are on a mine site, there are inductions, permits and paperwork before you touch anything, and long shifts can be tiring.
- →Your first TAFE blocks cover safety, drawings, measurement, hand tools and basic machining, and the theory makes more sense once you have seen it on the job.
Tools you'll need
Common terms
- Isolation (lockout tagout)
- Shutting off and locking every energy source to a machine, with your own personal lock and tag, then testing it is dead before you start work.
- Tolerance
- How far a measurement is allowed to vary from the size on the drawing, for example plus or minus 0.02 mm.
- Interference fit
- A fit where the part is slightly bigger than the hole, so it has to be pressed, heated or frozen to assemble. Common for bearings on shafts.
- Clearance fit
- A fit where there is a small gap between parts so they slide or turn freely.
- Alignment
- Lining up two shafts, such as a motor and a pump, so they run true. Done with dial indicators or a laser alignment kit.
- Run-out (TIR)
- How much a spinning part wobbles, measured with a dial indicator as total indicator reading.
- Shims
- Thin precision packers placed under machine feet to get height and alignment right.
- Shutdown
- A planned stop of a plant or part of a mine so big maintenance jobs can be done, usually with long shifts and extra crews.
- Work order
- The written job instruction from the maintenance system that tells you what to do, parts needed and how to record the job.
- Feeds and speeds
- How fast the machine spindle turns and how fast the cutting tool moves through the material. Getting them right means a good finish and a longer tool life.
TAFE & study support
The off-the-job training is the Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade (MEM30219). The code was not replaced in the 2025 MEM training package update: it moved to Release 4 (released 4 September 2025), so check you are enrolling in the current release. The qualification needs 96 points of units, including 33 points of core units like workplace safety, technical drawing, measurement, computations and hand and power tools, plus specialist units in fitting, machining or both. Delivery depends on the provider: some run day release, such as one day a week over about three years, and others run block release, such as two-week blocks a few times a year, which suits regional and FIFO apprentices. The rest of your learning, and evidence for your units, comes from the job. Not every elective is offered at every campus, so check what your provider runs.
Licensing & qualifications
There is no state licence to work as a fitter and turner in any state or territory. Your Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade (MEM30219) is your trade qualification, and completing your registered apprenticeship gets you your trade papers. What you will need on top depends on where you work. Mine sites need site and company inductions, and Queensland coal mines have specific induction and training requirements through Resources Safety and Health Queensland, while WA mine safety is regulated by WorkSafe WA. Many fitters also pick up high risk work licences such as forklift, elevating work platform over 11 metres, dogging or rigging, which are issued by your state work health and safety regulator, plus confined space, working at heights and first aid tickets. Defence and shipbuilding jobs may need a security clearance.
What you'll get paid
Most fitters and turners in manufacturing, engineering workshops and maintenance contracting are covered by the Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 (MA000010). If you work directly for a mine operator, a mining award such as the Mining Industry Award (MA000011) or, in coal, the Black Coal Mining Industry Award (MA000001) may apply instead, and in practice most large miners, utilities and shipbuilders pay under an enterprise agreement (EBA) or above-award contract that beats the award. Apprentice pay under the award is a percentage of the trade rate that goes up each year, and junior and adult apprentices are paid differently, with adult apprentice rates for older starters. Rates can also differ depending on whether you finished Year 12. The award also has tool allowance provisions and rules on training fees. Rates change every year, so use the Fair Work Pay Calculator to check your exact rate, and if you are on an EBA, read your agreement.
Common questions
What is the difference between a fitter and a turner?
A fitter assembles, maintains and repairs machinery. A turner, or machinist, makes and repairs parts on lathes, mills and CNC machines. The apprenticeship covers both, but most people lean one way depending on their employer. Mine sites mostly want maintenance fitters, and machine shops mostly want turners and machinists.
What qualification do I get?
The Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade (MEM30219). It is still the current code on training.gov.au, now at Release 4 from September 2025.
How long does the apprenticeship take?
Up to 4 years full time is the usual term, and part time can run longer. It is competency based, so if you get signed off on all your units and your employer agrees, you can finish sooner.
Do I need a licence?
No. There is no state licence for fitters and turners. Your trade qualification is the ticket, plus whatever site inductions and high risk work licences your job needs.
Can I do a fitter and turner apprenticeship on a mine site?
Yes. BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue and many mining contractors take apprentices, often in WA and Queensland. Some are FIFO and some are residential. They are competitive, so a pre-apprenticeship, a good school record and a manual driver's licence help.
Is there demand for fitters and turners?
Yes. Fitter and Turner is rated as in shortage nationally and in every state and territory on the 2025 Occupation Shortage List, and WA and Queensland are the biggest markets.
Am I too old to start?
No. Plenty of people start in their 20s and 30s. The award has adult apprentice rates, and some employers, especially in mining, actively recruit mature-age apprentices.
Safety reminders
- ⚠Rotating machinery: lathes, mills and drills can grab loose clothing, hair, rags and gloves in a split second. No gloves near a turning chuck, keep guards on and tie back long hair.
- ⚠Stored energy: hydraulics, springs, gravity, compressed air and residual pressure can all hurt you after the power is off. Isolate everything, lock out with your own lock and test before you start.
- ⚠Heavy parts and lifting: gearboxes, motors and pump casings are heavy. Use cranes, chain blocks and slings properly, and never put yourself under a suspended load.
- ⚠Noise: workshops, grinders, compressors and plant rooms are loud, and hearing loss is permanent. Wear hearing protection every time.
- ⚠Eyes and skin: swarf, grinding sparks, cutting fluid and hot work cause eye injuries, burns and dermatitis. Safety glasses always, a face shield on the grinder, and wash cutting fluid off your skin.
- ⚠Site hazards and fatigue: confined spaces, heights, heat, and long FIFO rosters add risk. Follow the permit system, drink water, and speak up if you are too tired to work safely.
Sources and official links
Straight from the source. These open in a new tab.
- training.gov.au: MEM30219 Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade (opens in a new tab)
- training.gov.au: MEM Manufacturing and Engineering Training Package (opens in a new tab)
- VRQA: Manufacturing and Engineering apprenticeship conditions (Victoria) (opens in a new tab)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2020 [MA000010] (opens in a new tab)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Pay Calculator (opens in a new tab)
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Metal Fitters and Machinists occupation profile (opens in a new tab)
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation Shortage List (opens in a new tab)
- Your Career: Fitter and Turner (opens in a new tab)
- Safe Work Australia: Noise (opens in a new tab)
- Safe Work Australia: Mining (opens in a new tab)
- Australian Apprenticeships (opens in a new tab)
Explore the rest of The Apprentice Hub
Ask a tradie: Fitter and Turner
Got a question? Ask it anonymously. We publish the best ones with answers from qualified tradies.