A nationally recognised qualification on the National Register of vocational education and training. This page answers the questions that actually decide whether it is worth your time and money: is the work there, what happens to people who finish, who pays, and who you could study it with. Every figure carries its source and date.
Often searched as Cert 2 in Leather Production. It prepares people for work as hide and skin processing machine operator.
This is the current version of the qualification on the national register. It replaced MST20316, whose currency ended on 29 January 2020.
The signals behind this qualification are mixed, and both sides are worth weighing. Specifically: national enrolments are rising and the official shortage list does not rate its occupations in shortage. These are official statistics, not a promise about any individual's result.
Three official signals crossed: live job advertisements, the national training pipeline, and government employment projections.
Employers are advertising fewer of these roles than a year ago. Across Hide And Skin Processing MacHine Operator, about 13 jobs were advertised online in May 2026 (down 11.3% on a year earlier). Roughly 173 openings were advertised over the last 12 months, while 95 people enrolled in the qualification nationally in 2024. Enrolment counts people in training, not completions, so the two figures describe the pipeline and the market, not a job guarantee.
Enrolments in this qualification are growing. National enrolments rose from 80 in 2023, to 95 in 2024 (up 18.8%).
Employment in these occupations is projected to stay about flat. Government projections put them at 1,700 workers in May 2025, 1,700 by May 2030 (down 0.8%) and 1,700 by May 2035 (up 3.4%).
Outcomes for this specific qualification, each anchored against what is typical at the same qualification level nationally.
The three wallets: a subsidised seat, paying full fee, and the time commitment that decides whether you can keep working.
Subsidy programs change and have eligibility rules. The official listing linked above is the source of truth; no dollar amounts are shown here because they vary by person and provider.
Fees for unsubsidised places are set by each training provider and vary widely. Provider pricing, intakes and payment options live on the individual course pages linked below, never on this page.
The crossing no single dataset can give you: official shortage status, subsidy availability and training demand, read together.
The signals behind this qualification are mixed, and both sides are worth weighing. Specifically: national enrolments are rising and the official shortage list does not rate its occupations in shortage. These are official statistics, not a promise about any individual's result.
None of the occupations this qualification leads to is rated as in shortage on the official list. In the 2025 Occupation Shortage List assessment, Footwear Production Machine Operator, Hide and Skin Processing Machine Operator, Knitting Machine Operator, Textile Dyeing and Finishing Machine Operator, Weaving Machine Operator, Yarn Carding and Spinning Machine Operator and Textile and Footwear Production Machine Operators nec are rated not in shortage.
Approval to deliver is a regulatory fact, not a recommendation. Start with who is approved, then compare actual courses.
The five questions people actually ring up and ask, answered only where official data backs the answer.