Training level or qualifications:

In trades positions, apply the skills taught in a trades certificate or Certificate III, including performance of a range of construction, maintenance and repair tasks, using precision hand and power tools and equipment.  In some cases this will involve familiarity with the work of other trades or require further training.

In technical assistant positions:

• assist a technical officer in operating a laboratory, including ordering supplies
• assist in setting up routine experiments
• monitor experiments for report to a technical officer
• assist with the preparation of specimens
• assist with the feeding and care of animals.

Staff would be expected to perform a greater range and complexity of tasks as they progressed through the level and obtained further training.

In administrative positions, perform a range of administrative support tasks including:

• standard use of a range of desk-top based programs, e.g.  word processing, established spreadsheet or database applications, and management information systems (e.g. financial, student or human resource systems).  This may include store and retrieve documents, key and lay out correspondence and reports, merge, move and copy, use of columns, tables and basic graphics
• provide general administrative  support to other staff including setting up meetings, answering straightforward inquiries and directing others to the appropriate personnel
• process accounts for payment.

Occupational equivalent:

Technical officer or technician, administrative above Level 3, advanced tradespersons.

Level of supervision:

In technical positions, routine supervision to general direction depending upon experience and the complexity of the tasks.  In other positions, general direction.

May supervise or co-ordinate others to achieve objectives, including liaison with staff at higher levels.  May undertake stand-alone work.

Task level:

May undertake limited creative, planning or design functions; apply skills to a varied range of different tasks.

Organisational knowledge:

Perform tasks/assignments which require proficiency in the work area's rules, regulations, processes and techniques, and how they interact with other related functions.

Judgement, independence and problem solving:

In trades positions, extensive diagnostic skills. 

In technical positions, apply theoretical knowledge and techniques to a range of procedures and tasks.

In administrative positions, provide factual advice which requires proficiency in the work area's rules and regulations, procedures requiring expertise in a specialist area or broad knowledge of a range of personnel and functions.

Typical activities:

In trades positions:

• work on complex engineering or interconnected electrical circuits
• exercise high precision trades skills using various materials and/or specialised techniques.

In technical positions:

• develop new equipment to criteria developed and specified by others
• under routine direction, assist in the conduct of major experiments and research programs and/or in setting up complex or unusual equipment for a range of experiments and demonstrations
• demonstrate the use of equipment and prepare reports of a technical nature as directed.

In library technician positions:

• undertake copy cataloguing
• use a range of bibliographic databases
• undertake acquisitions
• respond to reference inquiries.

In administrative positions:

• may use a full range of desktop based programs, including word processing packages, mathematical formulae and symbols, manipulation of text and layout in desktop publishing and/or web software, and management information systems
• plan and set up spreadsheets or data base applications
• be responsible for providing a full range of secretarial services, e.g. in a faculty
• provide advice to students on enrolment procedures and requirements
• administer enrolment and course progression records.