Certificate III in Individual Support

Hi Jo! So, what sort of people do you see enrolling in this course?

Hi everyone! Oh, we see a big range of people.

We've quite often seen people who are driven by an event that has happened in their personal lives, such as a friend or family member requiring care. This might bring them awareness of the career as an option or they can be motivated by the personal connection to someone who needs professional care.

Otherwise, we're often seeing people who are looking for a career change. This can really vary from people who want something more than packing boxes in a factory to those fleeing corporate office life!

Although we do see recent school leavers too - young men and women who maybe haven't decided what they want to do with their lives yet, but they'd love a job with meaning and positive impact to do in the mean time. 

How easy is it to get a job in the sector? How do people get their first job?

Australia is experiencing a skills shortage in the sector, so there's A LOT of demand for qualified workers. And the Certificate III in Individual Support is the qualification you need to be in demand.

We see most students get their first job through their work placement. The Certificate III in Individual Support requires you to complete a 120 hour work placement as part of your training. The employers that take students for the work placement usually have the intention to hire them full-time once they complete their qualification.

When you enrol in a course, your registered training organisation (RTO) will work with you to find a work placement.

Is it better to work or study in disability than aged care?

Oh, I wouldn't say either is "better". The Certificate III in Individual Support qualifies you to work in either sector.

It's possible to do a specialisation in disability or aged care, if you want to and your chosen registered training organisation (RTO) supports it. Most RTOs offer the course with both specialisations, which means that you do the normal 9 core course units, then you do 3 units focused on aged care and 3 units focused on disability.

I think we have a couple of RTOs that only have a specialisation in one or the other. This is usually because they have a close relationship to employers in one sector or the other and are focused on getting their students into work with - for example - aged care providers that they partner closely with.

For people who have never worked in the sector, I generally encourage them to keep an open mind and stay flexible. It's usually not until you start working that you figure out what you really enjoy and don't. The great thing about this sector is that are a lot of different ways of working. You know, some people find they prefer to go to the same workplace everyday and see the same colleagues. For them, working in an aged care home is great. Others love visiting clients in their homes and going somewhere different every day.

Students can get their first taste of working in the sector with the 120 hour work placement.

Can you tell us more about the work placement?

Sure! So, like I said, students are required to complete a minimum 120 hour work placement as part of their training.

Your registered training organisation (RTO) will work with you to find a work placement. Sometimes they have good relationships with employers in the sector and they will basically just find and arrange a placement with an employer near where you live. Other RTOs like the student to try and find their own placement, but they'll offer a lot of support to help the student do that. Some students prefer to have everything arranged for them, which I understand. But it's important to know that it's not hard to find a work placement in this sector (if you follow the advice and take the support of your RTO). And if you organise your own work placement, you can get better insight into the employers you might like to work for.

What types of employers offer work placements?

Aged care homes are very common for those studying the ageing specialisation.

Disability service providers are common if you are studying the disability specialisation.

RTOs will typically have relationships with employers in both sectors and can help you find a placement.

Is the work placement paid?

The short answer is "no". Work placements are not supposed to be or required to be paid. You are completing training in a practical environment, not doing a paid job.

The longer answer is "maybe". We've seen student who are already working in the sector and complete their work placement as part of their paid job. If you are already working in the sector, it's best to study with an RTO that is supportive. Some are a bit more set up and catering towards those already working in the sector.

How much do support workers get paid?

Great question. 

So, according to Jobs and Skills Australia, the average full-time weekly earnings of those working in the sector is $1,564. That's based on a 2023 survey. 

If we get more specific, the minimum hourly rate for a full-time employee working in the aged care sector - who has the Certificate III qualification - is $26.63. That's the 2025 minimum award rate for a newly qualified employee. 

But people who need support don't just need it 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. If you work in support, there are opportunities to work weekends, night shifts and overnight stays. The minimum hourly rate for a Sunday is $46.60.

The award wages for disability support work are a bit more complex, as it depends on the exact type of work you are doing and in which state. But the minimum hourly rate for home care is comparable with the hourly rate for aged care.

In both cases, if you are working as a casual or doing overtime or doing evening and weekend shifts or freelancing as a private contractor, you can expect a significantly higher hourly rate. Your wage will also increases with experience.

What potential is there for future career growth?

If you want to study further, there is both the Certificate IV in Ageing Support and the Certificate IV in Disability Support. The Certificate IV qualifies you to move into leadership or supervisory role, where you will earn a higher hourly rate.

If further study isn't on the cards, we often see people with experience decide to work as independent contractors. They can set their own hourly rate and choose clients that suit their preferences, within reason.

So it's possible to study part-time?

Absolutely. We have a number of self-paced, online courses which are really designed for people who are working full-time and want to fit study around their job.

"Self-paced" means you set your own schedule and pace, up to a limit. You are not required to attend classes at a specific time. If you put in the extra hours, you can finish sooner. Theoretically, you could finish within 14 weeks, if you followed the full-time schedule I mentioned earlier. But realistically, most people won't want or be able to commit to that pace when studying online from home. There's usually an upper-limit of 18 months, so you do need to keep progressing at a minimum pace.

Interesting! I was going to ask about studying online...

Yes, it's possible to study online. That might seem a bit odd for something as hands-on as individual support. But because the course is structured into two parts - the work placement and the course units - it works quite well. Students can study the theoretical part - the 15 course units - online. The work placement obviously cannot be done online.

And how long does it take to finish the qualification?

We've got some intensive, full-time courses where students can qualify within 14 weeks. And that includes the work placement. By "intensive", I mean that the students are attending class, in-person, 5 days per week for a full day.

What's more common is students taking 6-12 months to complete the qualification. They are studying part-time in the evenings, while working another job during the day.

How much does the course cost? I heard that it's free!

Ah, our most asked question! The short answer is: it depends.

Some state governments have funding available for the Certificate III in Individual Support, which makes it free or lower cost for eligible students. And student eligibility rules are different from state to state.

It can also be the case that the "free" courses fill up very quickly and there are no places left available. The other issue we sometimes see is that - in certain states - you cannot study a "free" course online. This can be because of government rules, or simply because the RTO has chosen to do it this way (they have their reasons). 

Then, not every registered training organisation (RTO) offers government funded places. There are a variety of reasons for that. So they will have their own fees. But most of the RTOs we work with will have very good and affordable payment plans. Oh, also not every RTO offers courses in every state.

So, if a student wants to know the course fees, we ask them to take Enrola's 2 minute course advisor quiz. We'll ask all the questions we need to determine the fees. Then we make a course recommendation, where the student can compare the fees between courses in the recommendation.

Any tips for how to choose a course?

Ha! This is what Enrola exists to help with!

Enrola is a comparison marketplace for Australian vocational education courses, designed to help students find, compare, and enrol in the best courses with confidence. We offer expert course advice, transparent comparisons of fees and student reviews, and a fast, easy enrolment process. Our platform ensures you’re equipped with all the information you need to make a confident decision, without the pressure or confusion.

Students can get started with Enrola's 2 minute course advisor quiz. In the quiz, we ask all the questions we need to make a recommendation. This will include checking the student's eligibility for funding (if applicable) and their study preferences. 

Once we have the student's answers, we make a course recommendation. We always let the student know their cheapest option, because we know that cost is such an important factor in the decision. But we'll also recommend the course which best matches their preferences, even if it's not the cheapest.

We have a super quick and easy online enrolment process. But we also have course advisors on hand to answer student's questions and talk them through their best options.

So the cheapest course isn't always the best?

Sometimes it is! But not always.

Is a "free" course really the best if you have to wait 6 months for it to start and then quit your job to attend class?

Is a "cheap" course really best if you haven't studied for 15 years and you're completely unfamiliar with the aged care or disability support sector?

In those cases, it can be much better value to go with a course that has a higher overall course fee, but in which you are much more likely to succeed thanks to the strong student support, flexible delivery and using the RTO's strong industry network to get your first paid job in the sector. Our course advisors are always willing to talk through the pros and cons of different courses with students who use our platform.