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Certificate III · national qualification

Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations

This course trains you to run the heavy plant used on civil construction sites, including excavators, loaders, rollers and skid steers.

Compare 19 providers
How long it takes
2 to 3 years
full time at TAFE NSW
What it costs
From $2,100
Subsidised at TAFE NSW, full fee up to $14,300
How you can study
On campus
Taught by
19 providers
Every state and territory

Is this course right for you?

What the Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in working outdoors on civil construction sites
  • good hand eye coordination for controlling heavy plant
  • a careful approach to safety around machines and services
  • willingness to follow set out marks and site plans

Before you start

The qualification has no set entry requirements, but each provider can add its own.

Where this course can take you

The study that can follow this course.

If you study further

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $2,100

at TAFE NSW. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$14,300

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • TAFE NSWNSW

    Subsidised
    $2,100
    Concession
    $240
    Full fee
    $14,300
    How long
    2 to 3 years

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 19 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

The main topics covered in the Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations.

  • Operating excavators and loaders
  • Trenching for pipes and services
  • Compacting and levelling ground
  • Reading site plans and set-out
  • Daily machine checks and maintenance
  • Working safely around plant

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

It prepares you to run heavy plant on civil construction sites. You will learn to dig, level, trench for pipes and services, and compact surfaces, using plans and surveyor marks. It suits people already on site who want to move onto machines, and newcomers after a practical start in civil work.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

The qualification itself has no entry requirements, but individual providers can set their own conditions. Check with the provider you choose.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.