Certificate III in Individual Support Courses

Start with the Certificate III in Individual Support. It's the qualification employers ask for in aged care and disability support roles, and it's the quickest way into paid work.

We don't recommend the Cert IV for most people. Its units cover much the same ground, and we haven't seen evidence that employers favour it or that it leads to noticeably higher pay. Experience in the job usually counts for more.

If you later want to move beyond hands-on support work, look at a diploma once you've got some experience. That could be the Diploma of Community Services for case management or NDIS support coordination, or the Diploma of Nursing for a clinical career in aged care. For more info, check out our article on this.

The course price shown on Coursely is the total price, with enrolment, payment plan and material fees and all other known provider charges included. We do our best to ensure there are no hidden expenses.

There can still be additional costs. For example, most placement hosts will ask for a national police check, and disability placements also need an NDIS Worker Screening Check. Some will also want first aid and CPR, and proof of vaccination, usually a flu vaccination. These are usually outside the control of your training provider, and you'll need most of these to work in the sector anyway.

This is really up to you. Some students just want the cheapest course, the fastest. Some want a reputable brand, some want flexibility to study while they work.

The smartest way to decide is to complete the Age and Disability Care Quiz and then speak to a course advisor for free — they'll walk you through your subsidy eligibility as well.

Alternatively use the Coursely comparison tool to get an impression of what course you might like, then use the same quiz to see if it actually suits your preferences!

Yes. All courses listed on Coursely are the Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33021), accredited with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). The RTO code for each provider can be found on training.gov.au.

There are so many factors that go into price, including work placement support, the size of the training provider, whether they are online only or on campus.

Importantly, all providers listed are government accredited, and you become qualified on successful completion regardless of the price you pay for it.

Courses are delivered online, on-campus, or as blended learning. Many providers also offer workplace-based traineeships.

Certificate III courses require a mandatory work placement which will involve going into a real workplace for at least 120 hours. Some providers offer to organise this for you while others require you to organise this yourself. Worth checking before signing up.

The Certificate III in Individual Support requires a mandatory work placement which will involve going into a real workplace for at least 120 hours. This is usually unpaid.

Some providers offer to organise this for you while others require you to organise this yourself. You can indicate what kind of assistance you would like in the course quiz.

If you are working in the industry, you often can use your existing employer for the work placement, and this will also mean the work placement can be paid. Training providers must be willing to use existing employers, and not all do. This is worth discussing with your course advisor after you complete the quiz. For more, see our work placement article.

Usually the fastest you can complete the course is 3 months, and this is an intensive training program. Most students take closer to 6 - 12 months. Coursely can assist you in identifying fast providers. If this is important to you, you can indicate your desire to finish quickly in the quiz.

Note: Coursely is not aware of any accredited training providers who can deliver the course in less than 3 months.

You can usually complete the Certificate III in Individual Support on a visa, though it is important to be aware of any visa restrictions that apply to you before proceeding. You can check your visa restrictions online for free by going to VEVO. Common restrictions include that you must complete the course regionally, or within 4 months. Coursely can help you find options that meet your visa requirements.

Note: Student 500 visa holders have specific visa restrictions that apply. Students should complete the quiz to see whether Coursely can assist them.

No. There are more than 400 providers offering the Certificate III in Individual Support, and even more unaccredited options.

We have listed as many accredited options as we can for you, noting the time and resources involved in keeping the information up to date. For a full list of Certificate III options you can go to training.gov.au or YourCareer, but these will not include information like pricing, duration or mode of study.