| Name | Start Date | End Date | ||
| Cert III Individual Support Face to Face Batemans Bay, Nowra or Wollongong | 01/07/2026 | 01/01/2030 | ||
| CHC33021 - Certificate III Individual Support Online-Arti Raj Trainer | 01/01/2030 |
Study Cert 3 Individual Support online from anywhere in Australia, and get both specialisations — ageing and disability. Most providers make you choose one. We don’t, which means you graduate qualified to work in aged care, home care, and disability support, across two of the fastest-growing job markets in the country. The Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33021) is a nationally recognised qualification, valid in every state and territory. You’ll study at your own pace with a real trainer supporting you the whole way — and unlike most online providers, we arrange your work placement for you, wherever you live. Start for $650, then pay $130 per unit as you go. No contract, no debt — you only pay for the units you actually do.
Most providers make you pick a specialisation: ageing or disability. Choose wrong and you’ve narrowed your job options before you’ve started. At NCVE you study both — same qualification, same 15 units, same price.
Work effectively in aged care, support people living with dementia, and deliver care using a palliative approach.
Work effectively in disability support, support community participation and social inclusion, and use a strengths-based approach.
Aged care and NDIS-funded disability support are both growing fast. Finish qualified for both and you choose where you work.
Your first payment is $650 — that covers your enrolment and your first unit. After that it’s $130 per unit as you work through them. No contract and no debt: you only pay for the units you actually do.
Afterpay & ZipPay available. Smart & Skilled funding is for eligible NSW residents only — eligibility criteria apply and your exact fee is confirmed at enrolment.
CHC33021 includes 120 hours of supervised work placement. It’s the part most online providers hand you a checklist for and wish you luck. It’s also the number one reason people don’t finish.
Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, regional — we arrange your placement in a real aged care or disability service near you.
No ringing around services hoping someone says yes. We have the relationships and we do the arranging.
Placement is where your skills come together — and where employers often spot their next hire.
This is the qualification that opens the door to aged care and disability work — here’s why students choose NCVE to get it.
Ageing and disability, not one or the other. You finish qualified for both job markets, at no extra cost.
Anywhere in Australia. You don’t cold-call services hoping someone says yes — we sort it.
A named trainer with genuine industry experience supports you the whole way. No AI marking, no being left to figure it out alone.
$650 to start, then $130 per unit. No contract, no debt — you only pay for what you do.
Online Australia-wide, face-to-face in NSW, or blended, and self-paced options — fit your study around work and life.
CHC33021 is recognised by aged care and disability employers in every state and territory — not just NSW.
CHC33021 is made up of 15 nationally recognised units of competency — 9 core units, plus both the ageing and disability specialisations. You’ll build the practical skills to provide safe, respectful, person-centred care, including:
Credit Transfer may be available if you already hold relevant units from another provider — and because you pay per unit, credit means you pay less.
CHC33021 is made up of 9 core units, plus 3 ageing electives and 3 disability electives — you study both specialisations.
Some units are delivered and assessed in clusters — your trainer will explain how this works when you start.
Yes — and we’ll sort out your work placement wherever you are.
Certificate III in Individual Support is delivered online, and CHC33021 is nationally recognised: valid in every state and territory, and recognised by aged care and disability employers Australia-wide. Many of our online students are outside NSW.
You’ll study at your own pace with a real trainer, and we’ll arrange your 120-hour placement in a service near you — in Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania, the territories, or regional anywhere.
Fee-for-service: start for $650, then $130 per unit as you go. $2,470 for all 15 units — both specialisations included — or $1,976 if you pay upfront. You only pay for the units you do.
Fee-free places are available now for eligible NSW students — limited numbers, released each July and January. Beyond those, eligible students pay a subsidised student fee of $1,450, or $240 with a concession. Eligibility criteria apply, and we confirm your exact fee before you enrol.
Generally NSW residents aged 15 or over who have left school and are an Australian citizen, permanent resident, New Zealand citizen or eligible humanitarian visa holder. Other criteria may apply.
We confirm your Smart & Skilled eligibility at enrolment and handle the paperwork — no guesswork. Traineeship pathways may also be available.
Eligibility criteria apply. Funding is subject to NSW Government Smart & Skilled guidelines and confirmed at enrolment.
If you live or work in NSW, the NSW Government may subsidise this qualification — and some students qualify for a fee exemption and pay $0. Eligibility criteria apply. Answer a few quick questions and we’ll estimate your fee.
With both specialisations you’re qualified across aged care and disability — two of the most in-demand job markets in Australia.
Support older people in residential aged care or in their own homes.
Support people living with disability to participate and thrive — including NDIS-funded services.
Help clients with daily living, dignity and independence at home.
Deliver person-centred support across community services.
Step up to Certificate IV in Ageing Support or Certificate IV in Disability Support.
Aged care and NDIS-funded disability support are among the fastest-growing job markets in Australia.
This course is ideal for anyone wanting to start a caring career — school leavers, career changers, and people returning to work — as well as existing support workers who need a formal qualification. You don’t need any prior experience or qualifications to begin. If you’re compassionate, reliable and want a job that makes a real difference, this is your starting point. And because you study both specialisations, you don’t need to decide between aged care and disability before you’ve even started.
Choose what suits you: study online at your own pace from anywhere in Australia, attend face-to-face at one of our NSW locations, or a blended mix of both. Whichever you choose, you’ll have a real trainer guiding you, plus the structured support you need to stay on track. The course combines theory, practical skills and supervised work placement so you graduate genuinely job-ready.
Study online from anywhere in Australia — most of our students do, and we arrange placement wherever you live.
Prefer face-to-face? We deliver at Wollongong (our head office), Nowra and Batemans Bay. Talk to our team about the option closest to you.
A free Unique Student Identifier — required for any nationally recognised course. We can’t issue your qualification without it.
There are no formal entry requirements — just a willingness to learn and to complete a short language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) check.
Current driver licence, photo card or passport to verify your identity.
A National Police Check and NDIS Worker Screening Check before your work placement (we’ll guide you).
On successful completion you’ll receive a nationally recognised Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33021) with both the ageing and disability specialisations, qualifying you to work in aged care, home care, disability and community services anywhere in Australia. For full qualification details, visit training.gov.au.
Looking at something else? Explore our Certificate IV in Ageing Support, or browse all NCVE courses.
Do I have to find my own work placement?
No. NCVE arranges your placement for you, and we look for options close to where you live. CHC33021 requires at least 120 hours of work placement, and we contact facilities on your behalf — anywhere in Australia, not just NSW. Placement is subject to the police check and, where applicable, the NDIS worker screening the host facility requires.
I’ve already done some of this — can I get credit?
Yes. Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer both apply to the Certificate III in Individual Support. If you have relevant experience, or you have already completed matching units somewhere else, we assess it — and your fee is worked out on what you still need to complete, so it can come down. Raise it before you enrol rather than after: call 1800 180 881.
Can I pay it off, or do I need it all up front?
You pay as you go. $650 to start, which includes your first unit, then $130 per unit as you work through — $2,470 for the whole qualification, or $1,976 if you pay up front. Afterpay and ZipPay are available, and there is no contract: you only pay for the units you actually do. If you are eligible for Smart & Skilled in NSW you may pay considerably less, and there are fee-free places on this qualification — the calculator above works out your figure.
Is this course fee free?
Right now, yes — for eligible students there is nothing to pay. Certificate III in Individual Support currently has fee-free places funded by the NSW Government, and eligible students pay $0. Places are limited and are released in July and January each year, and we confirm availability with you before you enrol. Call 1800 180 881 and we will tell you on the spot whether a place is open and whether you qualify. If there isn’t one, the NSW Smart & Skilled student fee is $1,450 ($240 with a concession), or $2,470 fee-for-service — $1,976 if you pay in full up front.
Do I have to choose between ageing and disability?
No — you do both. Most providers make you pick one specialisation, which narrows your job options before you’ve started. At NCVE you study all three ageing electives and all three disability electives, so you finish qualified for aged care and disability support. Same 15 units, same price.
How much does the course cost?
You start with $650, which covers your enrolment and your first unit. After that it’s $130 per unit as you work through them — so all 15 units comes to $2,470, with both specialisations included. Pay upfront instead and it’s $1,976, saving you $494. There’s no contract: you only pay for the units you actually do. Eligible NSW residents can access Smart & Skilled funding instead, paying between $0 and $1,450 depending on circumstances. Afterpay and ZipPay are available.
Do I have to find my own work placement?
No. NCVE arranges your 120-hour placement in a real aged care or disability service near you — anywhere in Australia. You don’t cold-call providers hoping someone says yes.
Can I do this course from Victoria, Queensland or another state?
Yes. The course is online and CHC33021 is nationally recognised in every state and territory. We arrange your work placement wherever you live. Note that Smart & Skilled funding is NSW-only, so you’d pay the fee-for-service price.
What if I have to stop partway through?
Because you pay per unit as you go, you only ever pay for the units you’ve done. There’s no contract and no debt hanging over you.
Can I work in NDIS-funded disability services with this qualification?
Yes. The disability specialisation covers working effectively in disability support, supporting community participation and social inclusion, and using a strengths-based approach — the core skills disability services look for. You’ll need an NDIS Worker Screening Check before placement, which we’ll guide you through.
Am I eligible for Smart & Skilled funding?
Smart & Skilled is generally for NSW residents aged 15+ who have left school and are an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible visa holder. Other criteria can apply — we check your eligibility for you at enrolment. Eligible students pay between $0 and $1,450 depending on their circumstances.
What units will I study?
CHC33021 is made up of 15 nationally recognised units — 9 core (CHCLEG001 Work legally and ethically, HLTWHS002 Follow safe work practices for direct client care, HLTINF006 Apply basic principles and practices of infection prevention and control, CHCCOM005 Communicate and work in health or community services, CHCCCS041 Recognise healthy body systems, CHCCCS040 Support independence and wellbeing, CHCCCS038 Facilitate the empowerment of people receiving support, CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people, and CHCCCS031 Provide individualised support), plus 3 ageing electives (CHCAGE013 Work effectively in aged care, CHCAGE011 Provide support to people living with dementia, and CHCPAL003 Deliver care services using a palliative approach) and 3 disability electives (CHCDIS020 Work effectively in disability support, CHCDIS012 Support community participation and social inclusion, and CHCDIS011 Contribute to ongoing skills development using a strengths-based approach). The full coded list is shown above.
How long does it take?
Typically up to 12 months, with self-paced options that let you finish faster. Your trainer helps you set a realistic plan.
Can I study Cert 3 Individual Support online?
Yes — study Cert 3 Individual Support online at your own pace from anywhere in Australia, face-to-face at our NSW locations, or a blend of both, always with real trainer support. Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33021) is nationally recognised wherever you study it.
Can I get credit for units I’ve already completed?
Yes, if you hold relevant units from another provider — that’s a credit transfer. Because you pay per unit, credit means you pay less. Send us your statement of attainment when you enrol and we’ll tell you exactly what carries across before you pay for anything.
Do I need experience or qualifications to start?
No. There are no formal entry requirements — just complete a short language, literacy and numeracy check and you’re good to go.
What jobs can I get?
Aged care worker, personal care assistant, home care worker, disability support worker and community care roles — across two of the fastest-growing sectors in Australia.
Do I need a USI?
Yes — everyone completing a nationally recognised course needs a free Unique Student Identifier. Get one here.
✓ NAME : Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability)
✓ TYPE : PROGRAM
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