PMA40116 Certificate IV in Process Plant Technology
Power your career with process plant problem-solving
Embark on a transformative journey with our nationally recognised qualification, honing your skills in process plant operations.
As an integral part of industries like oil, gas, and manufacturing, process plants are vital in our daily lives. This qualification is tailored to industry needs and opens doors to diverse roles, offering a direct pathway to employment in the dynamic Western Australian resources sector.

This course is low fee* for residents of Western Australia and temporary residents holding certain visa types. An annual fee cap of $400 for those aged 15-24 or concession holders or $1,200 for everyone else, applies to this course. Some eligibility conditions apply for the low fee training and other fees may apply for some courses. Please refer to the FAQs for more information.
*Please note that eligibility requirements apply to some of the low fee training.
Overview
When Continuous enrolment
How Workplace
Power your career forward with this nationally recognised qualification which will equip you with a specialised skillset in process plant problem solving, helping you move towards a supervisory role.
At the heart of the production industry, process plants are essential to sectors such as such as oil and gas and manufacturing. The skilled teams that run the plants play a key role in providing many of our daily conveniences, such as petrol to fuel our car.
Be guided by our team of lecturers who are industry experts as you take your current knowledge of process plant operations to the next level, gaining a solid understanding of the entire production process and equipment across the plant. You'll sharpen your technical problem solving and troubleshooting skills and devise solutions based on theoretical knowledge, contributing to overall optimisation and improvement of processes.
This qualification is customisable based on your company requirements, and will prepare you for work as a Plant Technician at a wide-range of processing plants. The course offers a direct pathway to employment opportunities across the resources sector in chemical, oil and gas, hydrocarbons and refining fields. WA is home to major petroleum and minerals projects with more than 900 companies servicing this area, making it an exciting industry with high job prospects for those with the right technical skillset!
The course is ideal for advanced operators or technicians who wish to become a qualified Process Plant Technician or advance to positions such as Team Leader. You'll be job ready for roles such as Advanced Process Plant Technician/Operator or Process Plant Supervisor.
Study in specialised facilities
Learn in SM TAFE’s Australian Centre for Energy and Process Training (ACEPT), located at Munster Campus. The Centre offers a world-class, specialist training facility aligned with training requirements of the oil and gas, processing and resources industries, featuring a real-life operating plant, a control room and an office space for industry partners to allow direct participation with students, as well as technical engineering workshop rooms.
SM TAFE works closely with industry partners such as Shell, Chevron and Woodside to ensure our training meets industry practice. Students can gain hands-on experience with advanced technologies and equipment, and be trained in integral skills such as managing plant shutdowns and taking on a leading role in the establishment of systems to prevent or enable responses to incidents or emergencies. Learn about safety case preparation, plant documentation and environmental impacts of the process.
- fine chemicals
- heavy chemicals
- petrochemicals
- hydrocarbon extraction
- hydrocarbon transmission
- hydrocarbon processing/refining
- minerals processing/refining
- metalliferous processing/refining
- metals smelting/processing
Select your preferred campus and apply
No future dates planned
This course is currently undergoing delivery planning and information will be available on our website shortly. Check back later, or use the form in the Get help section below to have our Client Contact Centre contact you with further information about the next course start date, delivery locations and study modes.