Diploma of Automotive Management (Business Management)

The Diploma of Automotive Management is a vocational qualification for people who want to run the business side of an automotive workshop, dealership or service operation rather than spend their days under a hoist. You look at how a workshop actually makes money: quoting and costing jobs, managing parts inventory, rostering technicians, dealing with suppliers, and keeping customers coming back. There is a strong focus on the paperwork and systems that keep a shop compliant and profitable, job costing, workplace safety, environmental requirements for waste oil and chemicals, and the record-keeping that regulators and insurers expect.

The course runs 44 weeks. It is delivered by the Mechanical Institute of Training and Technology Pty Ltd and is listed on the CRICOS register under course code 120386A, which is the register you should check for the confirmed duration, location and tuition. Vocational diplomas at this level sit on the Australian Qualifications Framework and are built from units of competency, each carrying credit points. Assessment is competency-based: you demonstrate you can do the task, not just describe it. Delivery typically mixes classroom or workshop-based training with practical tasks, and many students complete part of their learning in an actual automotive workplace, because that is where the skills are used.

What you come out with is a working knowledge of how an automotive business operates. You can prepare an estimate, track a job through the workshop, manage stock, supervise a small team, and understand the award conditions and safety obligations that apply to tradespeople. You also build the customer-facing skills that separate a well-run shop from a chaotic one, explaining a repair, handling a complaint, following up on a quote.

This suits people already in the trade who want to move into a supervisor or service manager role, someone with front-of-house experience in a dealership, or a small business owner who needs to get their systems in order. International students should note the Student visa work rights of 48 hours per fortnight while studying, and that graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. English proficiency must be evidenced, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard for courses at this level, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the institute's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the visa itself. Confirm all entry, English and tuition details on the official CRICOS page before applying.

• Automotive service manager, running the day-to-day operation of a workshop or dealership service department, including scheduling, quoting and customer liaison.
• Workshop supervisor, leading a team of technicians, managing workflow and making sure jobs are completed to standard and on time.
• Parts and inventory coordinator, ordering, storing and controlling automotive parts and consumables for a workshop or parts retailer.
• Automotive service adviser, the front-of-house role that translates what the technician found into a clear explanation and quote for the customer.
• Small business owner or operator, running an independent mechanical repair, tyre, or detailing business.
• Fleet maintenance coordinator, managing servicing and repairs across a vehicle fleet for a logistics, government or corporate organisation.

These roles sit across the Australian automotive retail, repair and maintenance industry, dealership groups, independent workshops, fleet operators, parts distributors and mobile service businesses. Employers range from single-site family workshops to national chains. Confirm the specific job pathways and any licensing requirements with the training provider and relevant state authorities.