MEA30118 is the nationally recognised Certificate III in Aircraft Surface Finishing. It prepares you for work as an aircraft maintenance engineer (structures). It has been the current version on the national register since 2018, when it replaced MEA30115. Employers posted about 126 aircraft maintenance engineer (structures) jobs in June 2026, up 11.2% on a year earlier.
There is not much independent data on MEA30118 yet. What exists: aircraft maintenance engineer (structures)s are in national shortage and job ads in June 2026 were up 11.2% on a year earlier. These are official statistics, not a promise about your result.
Employers are posting more aircraft maintenance engineer (structures) jobs than a year ago. About 126 aircraft maintenance engineer (structures) jobs were advertised online in June 2026, up 11.2% on a year earlier. Over the last 12 months there were about 1,400 job ads, while 10 people were training in the qualification nationally (2025). Ads show the market. Enrolments show the pipeline. Neither is a job promise.
Australia's official shortage list rates aircraft maintenance engineer (avionics)s, aircraft maintenance engineer (mechanical)s and aircraft maintenance engineer (structures)s as in shortage. The 2025 Occupation Shortage List rates Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Avionics), Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Mechanical) and Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Structures) as in national shortage.
Aircraft maintenance engineer (structures) jobs are projected to stay about flat. Jobs and Skills Australia projections put these occupations at 10,006 workers in May 2025, 10,110 by May 2030 (up 1%) and 10,700 by May 2035 (up 6.9%).
Enrolments in the Certificate III in Aircraft Surface Finishing are steady. Across Australia, 10 people enrolled in 2024. In 2025 it was 10, up 0% in a year.
The register and the national framework set some of this. Providers set the rest.
State funding for MEA30118 is being verified against official program lists.
Eligibility and student contributions vary by program and provider. The official state listing is the source of truth. In a subsidised place the government pays most of the tuition and you pay a co-contribution set by the program and provider.
The Certificate III in Aircraft Surface Finishing is 17 units, all core. Prerequisites apply to Nine of them, marked below.
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Browse coursesGet Course maps MEA30118 to its occupations using the register’s own outcome wording, shown with ANZSCO codes (here, 3231) so the mapping can be checked. Job advertisement counts come from the Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index and count online ads, not vacancies filled. Enrolment counts come from NCVER Total VET Activity and count people in training, not completions. Funding rows appear only after verification against the official state program list. Source vintages: employment projections May 2025 to May 2035 release; Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index latest month June 2026; Occupation Shortage List 2025 assessment; NCVER Total VET Activity 2025 collection; register training.gov.au, synced 17 September 2026; register synced 18 Sept 2026. Page last updated 19 Sept 2026.