Skills & EmploymentAustralia

Already in Australia?

Qualify for aged care and get matched with employers while you study

If you are in Australia on a student, working holiday or other temporary visa, you can complete the Certificate III in Individual Support alongside what you are already doing. During your placement we introduce you to aged care employers who are looking for staff and may sponsor.

  • Online classes on Saturdays, 12pm to 3pm Sydney time
  • 120 hours of placement inside a real aged care facility
  • Employer introductions during your placement
Enquire on WhatsApp See how it works
Two trainee carers smiling at the entrance of an aged care facility during placement

Who this is for

Built for people who are already here and want a real career path

The course runs around your existing commitments, so you do not need to stop working or studying to get qualified.

  • International students

    Aged care work that fits around your study, with a qualification that employers recognise and a placement that puts you in front of them.

  • Working holiday makers

    A career path in a sector that is short of staff, rather than another casual job that ends when the season does.

  • Other temporary visa holders

    Already working in Australia and wanting to move into aged care? Study on Saturdays and keep your current role while you qualify.

How it works

From enrolment to employer introductions, in four steps

The placement is the heart of the program. It is where you prove yourself on the floor and where we match you with employers.

  1. A full classroom of adult students during a Skills & Employment Australia training session, one student raising a hand

    Enrol

    Secure your place with a $500 enrolment fee or pay the course fee upfront. Keep your current job or study going. Nothing has to stop.

  2. A trainer leading a small group of students at computer workstations in a modern classroom

    Study online on Saturdays

    Live online classes every Saturday from 12pm to 3pm Sydney time, with practical sessions on real equipment, delivered in partnership with ACM College, our accredited training partner.

  3. A trainer practising a patient hoist transfer with a client lying on a bed in a simulation lab

    Complete 120 hours of placement

    Your placement is inside a real aged care facility. This is where we match you. The employer sees how you work, and you see whether it is a place you would want to stay.

  4. A carer assisting a young woman using a mobility aid in an accessible bathroom, both smiling

    The employer decides

    When a role comes up, you are a known candidate rather than a resume. Where the employer holds an Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (ACILA), sponsorship is possible.

Why the placement matters

Employers hire people they have seen work

Your 120 hour placement puts you inside a facility with a team that may be hiring. You are working alongside them, not applying through a job board. By the end, they know your skills, your reliability and how you treat residents.

That is a stronger position than any application, and it is the same model we use for every candidate we place.

What is included

  • Nationally recognised Certificate III in Individual Support
  • Placement arranged for you
  • Introductions to employers during your placement
  • Support from enrolment through to your first role

Straight talk

  • We match you with potential employers. We do not guarantee a job or sponsorship, and no one can.
  • Sponsorship is the employer's decision and depends on the employer holding an Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement.
  • Visa rules differ by visa type, including how many hours you can work and study. Check your own conditions with the Department of Home Affairs or a registered migration agent before you enrol.

Pricing and schedule

One course fee, two ways to pay

Certificate III in Individual Support. Online classes every Saturday, 12pm to 3pm Sydney time, plus 120 hours of placement.

Option one

Pay upfront

$2,500

One payment. Nothing further to pay.

Course fee
$2,500
Total paid
$2,500

Option two

Payment plan

$500 to enrol

Then 20 payments of $100.

Enrolment fee, paid to secure your place
$500
20 payments of $100
$2,000
Total paid
$2,500

Ask us about the next intake date when you enquire. We will confirm your start date, your placement and what you need before day one. The same pricing is published in plain text at skillsemployment.com.au/pricing.md.

Training that transfers to the floor

Trained on real equipment, in real scenarios

You practise on the same hoists, slings, mobility aids and clinical routines you will use in a facility from day one.

  • A carer carefully positioning a hoist frame above a client during transfer training
  • A smiling client seated securely in a lifting sling while a carer guides the hoist
  • A trainee fitting an arm sling during a first aid training session
  • Students in a technology training session for care documentation systems

The outcome

A recognised qualification, real experience and employers who know your name

You finish with the Certificate III in Individual Support, 120 hours of experience inside a real facility, and introductions to employers who have seen you work.

“The employer is not reading your resume. They are watching you work with their residents. That changes everything.”

Skills & Employment Australia
  • Study on Saturdays and keep your current work or study going
  • Matched with employers during your placement, not after
  • Support from the first class to your first role
A carer and an older client laughing together in a bright care setting A carer gently holding the hand of an older client, both looking at the camera

Questions students ask

Questions about studying aged care in Australia

Short, direct answers to the questions people ask us before they enquire. Visa rules are set by the Department of Home Affairs, so each visa answer links to the page it came from.

Can I study the Certificate III on a Working Holiday visa?

Yes, within the study limit. Home Affairs lists study for up to 4 months as a condition of the subclass 417 and 462 visas. The course is self paced with live Saturday classes, so tell us your visa dates when you enquire and we will plan a timetable that fits your 4 months. Confirm your conditions with Home Affairs first.

Source: Home Affairs, Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)

Can I do this on a student visa while studying something else?

Yes. The Certificate III is an additional course alongside your main CRICOS course, not a replacement for it. Condition 8202 requires you to stay enrolled in that course and keep up attendance and progress, and our Saturday classes and self paced study sit around it. Check the conditions attached to your own visa in VEVO before you enrol.

Source: Home Affairs, student visa conditions (8202)

Do I need an English test to enrol?

No IELTS or PTE result is needed to enrol. ACM College, our accredited training partner, runs a short language, literacy and numeracy check at enrolment, as every registered training organisation must. Your classes, assessments and placement are all in English, so you need to read, write and speak confidently enough to care for residents safely.

How long does the course take?

The course is self paced. Live online classes run every Saturday from 12pm to 3pm Sydney time, you work through the theory at your own speed, and you complete 120 hours of placement inside an aged care facility. Most students take three to six months. If your visa limits study time, tell us and we will plan around it.

What are the 120 placement hours and where do I do them?

Placement is the practical part of the Certificate III in Individual Support: 120 hours of real work inside an aged care facility, alongside its care team. Skills & Employment Australia arranges your placement for you. It is where employers see how you work and where we introduce you to the ones who are hiring.

Can I keep my current job while I study?

Yes. Classes are on Saturdays from 12pm to 3pm Sydney time, so the course is built around existing work or study. Your visa sets your work limits, for example student visa holders can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while their course is in session. Check your own conditions on the Home Affairs website.

Source: Home Affairs, Student visa (subclass 500)

Will I be sponsored at the end?

No one can guarantee sponsorship, and we do not. The employer decides, and only employers that hold an Aged Care Industry Labour Agreement (ACILA) can sponsor direct care workers. What Skills & Employment Australia does is place you in a facility for your 120 hours and introduce you to employers who have seen you work.

Source: Home Affairs, industry labour agreements (aged care)

How does the payment plan work?

You pay $500 to enrol, which secures your place, then 20 payments of $100. The total is $2,500, the same as paying upfront, so there is no extra cost for spreading it out. If you prefer, pay the $2,500 course fee in one payment and there is nothing further to pay.

When is the next intake?

Message us on WhatsApp or send the enquiry form and we will reply with the next start date. Skills & Employment Australia runs intakes through the year, and we confirm your start date, your placement and what you need before day one, so you know the full timetable before you commit.

Do I need a police check before placement?

Yes. From 1 November 2025 every aged care provider must make sure each aged care worker holds a police certificate less than three years old or an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance. Facilities ask placement students for the same before they start. Apply for your National Police Check early, as it can take a few weeks.

Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Aged Care Worker Screening Guidance Material, March 2026 (v2.0)

Visa conditions differ by visa type and can change. Check your own conditions with the Department of Home Affairs or a registered migration agent before you enrol.

Ask us about the next intake

Message us on WhatsApp or send the form. We will reply with the next start date, how the Saturday classes run and what to expect from your placement.

Enquire about the Certificate III