Nationally recognised · CHC33021 · RTO #45799
Certificate III in Individual Support — online, Australia-wide
The qualification for working in aged care and disability support. You study online at your own pace, on your phone if you like, and you do 120 hours of real work placement. You finish with CHC33021 — nationally recognised, in every state, and it does not expire.
Covers both specialisations — ageing and disability — so you can work in either, or both.
Read this before you enrol
This qualification includes 120 hours of work placement, and you find your own placement host. We would rather you know that now than after you have paid.
- The 120 hours are set by the qualification nationally. Every provider has to include them. We cannot waive them and neither can anyone else.
- You approach aged care homes or disability services yourself and ask them to take you on as a student — much like applying for a job. MTI does not have a placement company and does not find placements for students.
- What we do: we check the place you find is suitable for your assessments and approve it, we give your host the paperwork, we deal with your supervisor directly, and if you are genuinely stuck we help you work out what to try next. We cannot make a facility say yes.
- If you already work in aged care or disability support, none of this applies to you — your own job is your placement, and there is nothing to find.
- Start your clearances the day you enrol. A police check, NDIS Worker Screening for disability placements, and a Working with Children or Vulnerable People check depending on your state. They take weeks, and waiting on one is the most common reason a student is held up.
Because you source your own host, there is no placement fee — the course price is the whole course price. If you want a short online certificate with no workplace involved at all, you are probably looking for our Food Safety Supervisor course ($129, certificate within one business day).
What it is
What is a Certificate III in Individual Support?
It is the entry qualification for paid work supporting people who need help with everyday living — older people in residential aged care or at home, and people with disability in the community. It is the certificate most Australian employers in aged care and disability ask for by name.
MTI delivers the dual specialisation: you complete the units for both ageing and disability rather than picking one. That is deliberate. People who train in only one half often find the job they are offered is in the other.
Your certificate names the code CHC33021. That matters — an employer checking your qualification is looking for the code, not a course name.
What you study
The 15 units
Nine core units everyone doing this qualification completes, then three on supporting older people and three on supporting people with disability. You do all fifteen.
Core — 9 units
- CHCCCS031 Provide individualised support
- CHCCCS038 Facilitate the empowerment of people receiving support
- CHCCCS040 Support independence and wellbeing
- CHCCCS041 Recognise healthy body systems
- CHCCOM005 Communicate and work in health or community services
- CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people
- CHCLEG001 Work legally and ethically
- HLTINF006 Apply basic principles and practices of infection prevention and control
- HLTWHS002 Follow safe work practices for direct client care
Ageing — 3 units
- CHCAGE011 Provide support to people living with dementia
- CHCAGE013 Work effectively in aged care
- CHCPAL003 Deliver care services using a palliative approach
Disability — 3 units
- CHCDIS011 Contribute to ongoing skills development using a strengths-based approach
- CHCDIS012 Support community participation and social inclusion
- CHCDIS020 Work effectively in disability support
How it works
How you are actually assessed
Most of the course happens on screen — short lessons, tap-and-choose activities and knowledge checks. You can sit a knowledge check as many times as you need, and every question you get right stays right. It is open book, because that is how the job works too.
The rest happens where it has to. Your workplace supervisor records what they actually saw you do, on their own form — you never fill it in and you never see their answers. You upload photos or short videos of real work you have done; your phone camera is enough. And you have recorded video calls with your MTI assessor, who asks you to explain what you did and why.
Your assessor decides, every time. Your supervisor reports; they do not mark you and they do not decide whether you pass.
Who it suits
Is this the right course for you?
Yes, if you…
- Want paid work in aged care or disability support and need the qualification employers ask for
- Already work in the sector and need the certificate to match what you already do
- Can study around a job or family, at your own pace, on your own device
- Can approach a local aged care home or disability service and ask for a student placement
- Are willing to get your clearances sorted early
Not yet, if you…
- Want a certificate with no in-person component — the 120 hours are not optional
- Cannot commit to finding a placement host, and have no workplace of your own
- Need the qualification by a fixed date — placement timing is not something we control
- Are on a student visa. MTI does not deliver to international students.
Certificate III in Individual Support — your questions
Is this Certificate III in Individual Support nationally recognised?
Yes. CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support is a nationally recognised qualification, issued by Melbourne Tech Institute (RTO #45799). It is recognised by every employer in Australia, in every state and territory, and it does not expire. Your certificate names the code CHC33021 — that is what an employer checks.
Can I really do it online?
The learning is fully online and self-paced — there is no class to attend and no set start date, and you can do all of it on a phone. The 120 hours of work placement cannot be done online, because the qualification requires you to be observed supporting real people. So it is an online course with a compulsory in-person component.
Do you find me a work placement?
No — you find your own placement host. You approach aged care homes or disability services yourself and ask them to take you on as a student, much like applying for a job. We do not have a placement company and we do not place students. What we do: we check the place you find is suitable for your assessments and approve it, we give your host the paperwork, we deal with your supervisor directly, and if you are genuinely stuck we will help you work out what to try next. We cannot make a facility say yes. If you already work in aged care or disability support, none of this applies — your own job is your placement.
What does it cost, and is there a placement fee?
The course is $2,499. That is the same price everywhere in Australia — we do not price by state. There is no placement fee, because you find your own host. The only extra costs are your clearances (police check, NDIS Worker Screening and a Working with Children or Vulnerable People check, depending on your state and your host), which you pay to the issuing body, not to us.
Which specialisations does it cover?
Both. You complete 15 units — 9 core, 3 on supporting older people and 3 on supporting people with disability — so when you finish you can work in aged care, in disability support, or in both. There is nothing to choose between and nothing to opt out of.
How long does it take?
That depends on you — on how many hours a week you study, and on how quickly you line up your placement. Placement is almost always the slowest part, so start it the week you enrol. We will give you an honest estimate once we know your situation. We do not promise a finish date, because your 120 hours depend on a workplace, not on us.
What clearances do I need, and when should I get them?
Start them the day you enrol, not later. You will generally need a National Police Check, NDIS Worker Screening if your placement is in disability support, and a Working with Children or Working with Vulnerable People check depending on your state and your host. They take weeks, not days, and being ready for placement without a clearance is the single most common reason a student is held up.
Do I need to already work in aged care or disability support?
No. Complete beginners are welcome and most of our students are. If you do already work in the sector, your own workplace can usually be your placement, which makes the whole thing considerably simpler.
Who marks my work?
A qualified MTI assessor — a real person, not a computer. For most units that means a short recorded video call where you explain what you did and why. Your workplace supervisor records what they actually saw you do on their own form; they do not mark you and they do not decide whether you pass. That decision is always your assessor’s.
Can I get credit for experience I already have?
If you have already done some of these units, or you have years of experience in the sector, talk to us before you enrol — credit transfer and recognition of prior learning can shorten the course. Call 1300 931 628 and ask.
Talk to us before you enrol
We would rather answer your questions first — especially about placement — than take your money and have you find out later. Call us, or send a message and we will come back to you.