Certificate III in Musical Instrument Making and Maintenance

The aim of this qualification is to provide the skills and knowledge for a musical instrument maker to design, make, and repair quality musical instruments. After an extensive OH&S program, incorporating theory and workshop induction, students will build an electric guitar neck, a Cajon (percussion instrument), a xylophone, repair a snare drum and a clarinet, make a flageolet, a traverse flute and an electric slide guitar. In the second year the students build a tenor ukulele, a tenor acoustic guitar and a solid body electric guitar.

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Enrolment Type VE3

Limited places

Consider this course if.....

Enjoy working with music and sound
Like working with your hands
Are creative
Like to design and are keen to gain skills in reading designs
Enjoy music and musical instruments

Additional Requirements/Information

Limited Places. Acceptance is subject to NCAT having received 2023 Enrolment Form, Student Support Form (if required) and valid USI no later than last Friday Term 3, 2022. No restrictions for Year 2 students who did their first year with NCAT.

Program Content

Sample competencies covered in Units 1 & 2 include:

Make percussion instruments
Make electric guitars
Make aerophone instruments

Sample competencies covered in Units 3 & 4 include:

Make special stringed instruments
Maintain and service woodwind instruments
Apply surface coatings by hand

Career opportunities

Working with music, theatre repair and design for quality musical instruments
Retail in musical instruments
Manufacturing of musical instruments
Replicating period instruments for period music
Touring music group technician
Maintaining music instruments in store

Work placement

80 hours of work placement (over two years) is recommended.

Contribution to VCE/VCAL/Vocational Major

VCE/VCAL/VM: Certificate III qualifications provide credit at VCE units 1 to 4 level. Each completed 90 nominal hours of training provides one VCE unit of credit. Credit accrues in the following sequence: Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 3 and 4 up to a maximum of six VCE units.

ATAR: This subject does not have a study score and therefore cannot contribute towards the student’s primary four. Students who receive a Units 3 & 4 sequence may be eligible for a 10% increment towards their ATAR (10% of the lowest result of your primary four scaled studies).

Please note the student must already have English and three other fully scored VCE/VET subjects to create the primary four.