Nationally recognised · CHC43015 · RTO #45799
Certificate IV in Ageing Support — study online, Australia-wide
The qualification for stepping up into a senior or lead support role in aged care. You study online at your own pace, and you do 120 hours of real work placement. You finish with CHC43015 — nationally recognised, issued by MTI.
$2,799 national price, or pay $499 to start, then 4 monthly payments of $575. Full refund in your first 30 days, or if you cannot find a placement host.
South Australia: $682.50 for eligible people. Participant Eligibility Criteria apply. Check if I qualify
No entry requirements. Already work in aged care? Your own job can be your placement.
South Australia only
Subsidised place for eligible South Australians
If you are eligible, you pay a Participant Course Fee of $682.50 instead of the national price. Concession card holders pay the same $682.50. Places are limited. Before you enrol we check your eligibility with you, because Skills SA requires an Upfront Assessment of Need. You must be 18 or over. Everyone else pays the national price of $2,799, or uses the payment plan above.
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 home care providers 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, 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, you can use your own job as your placement. We check the workplace and your supervisor first, and your shifts count from the day we approve it.
- Start your clearances the day you enrol. Most hosts want a police check or an NDIS Worker Screening clearance, and your host decides which. They can take weeks, and waiting on one is a 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. Read the pre-enrolment information sheet (PDF) before you pay. 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 IV in Ageing Support?
It is the next step up from a Certificate III for people who support older people. You learn to plan and coordinate services, support people living with dementia and people near the end of life, work with families and carers, and handle legal and ethical duties.
Your certificate names the code CHC43015. That matters — an employer checking your qualification is looking for the code, not a course name. We cannot promise you a job, a pay rise or a promotion.
What you study
The 18 units
Fifteen core units and three electives. We have chosen the electives for you, so there is nothing to pick. You do all eighteen.
Core — 15 units
- CHCADV001 Facilitate the interests and rights of clients
- CHCAGE001 Facilitate the empowerment of older people
- CHCAGE003 Coordinate services for older people
- CHCAGE004 Implement interventions with older people at risk
- CHCAGE005 Provide support to people living with dementia
- CHCCCS006 Facilitate individual service planning and delivery
- CHCCCS011 Meet personal support needs
- CHCCCS023 Support independence and wellbeing
- CHCCCS025 Support relationships with carers and families
- CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people
- CHCLEG003 Manage legal and ethical compliance
- CHCPAL001 Deliver care services using a palliative approach
- CHCPRP001 Develop and maintain networks and collaborative partnerships
- HLTAAP001 Recognise healthy body systems
- HLTWHS002 Follow safe work practices for direct client care
Electives — 3 units
- CHCCCS001 Address the needs of people with chronic disease
- CHCCCS038 Facilitate the empowerment of people receiving support
- CHCMGT001 Develop, implement and review quality framework
How it works
How you are actually assessed
Most of the learning happens on screen — short lessons, tap-and-choose activities and quizzes. You can sit a quiz as many times as you need. It is open book, because that is how the job works too.
The rest happens where it has to. You record short role-plays on your phone with an adult who plays a client or family member (your voice must be clear; showing your face is optional). 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. And you have phone or 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. If a result is Not yet satisfactory, we tell you what is missing and you try again at no charge.
Who it suits
Is this the right course for you?
Yes, if you…
- Work in aged care or support work and are ready to move into a senior or lead role
- Have finished a Certificate III such as Individual Support and want the next step
- Can study around a job or family, at your own pace, on your own device
- Have an aged care job that can be your placement, or can approach a local provider 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 aged care job of your own
- Need the qualification by a fixed date — placement timing is not something we control
- Are under 18, or on a student visa: this qualification is not available to you
Already experienced?
Recognition of prior learning (RPL)
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is available Australia-wide. If you already work in aged care, you may be able to get some or all of the qualification recognised. Start with a free eligibility check; we confirm your fee in writing before you enrol.
Certificate IV in Ageing Support — your questions
Is this Certificate IV in Ageing Support nationally recognised?
Yes. CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support is a nationally recognised qualification, issued by Melbourne Tech Institute (RTO #45799). Your certificate names the code CHC43015 — that is what an employer checks.
Can I really do it online?
The learning is online and self-paced — there is no class to attend and no set start date. But the qualification also has 120 hours of work placement, which cannot be done online, because you need 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 home care providers 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, 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, your own job can be your placement — we check the workplace and your supervisor first, and your shifts count from the day we approve it.
Can I get recognition of prior learning (RPL) for this qualification?
Yes. Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is available Australia-wide. If you already work in aged care, you may be able to get some or all of the qualification recognised. Start with a free eligibility check, and we confirm your fee in writing before you enrol.
What does it cost, and is there a placement fee?
The course is $2,799. That is our national price. There is no placement fee, because you find your own host. The only extra costs are your clearances (for example a police check), which you pay to the issuing body, not to us. Some hosts also ask for proof of vaccinations, such as the flu shot. Travel to your placement is your own cost. You can pay the course price up front, or on MTI’s own payment plan: $499 to start, then 4 monthly payments of $575. If you live or work in South Australia you may be eligible for a subsidised place: $682.50 (the same for concession card holders), places are limited and Participant Eligibility Criteria apply.
What if I change my mind, or cannot find a placement host?
You get a full refund if you cancel within your first 30 days. After that, a refund for the units you have not started. The same applies if you cannot find a placement host. Units you have already started are not refunded. Our refund policy is on the policies page.
Who is this qualification for?
It suits people who work in, or want to work in, support for older people and are ready for more responsibility — for example moving up from a Certificate III or support worker role into a senior or lead support role. There are no entry requirements, and you can enrol without a Certificate III. But some units ask you to plan, coordinate and write about services, so the Certificate III is a gentler start for some people. Before you pay we have a short chat with you (about 15 minutes, by phone or video) and tell you honestly whether it suits you now.
How long does it take?
You study at your own pace and you have up to 24 months to finish. The slowest part for most people is the placement, not the study, so start lining it up the week you enrol. 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?
You do not need any of them to enrol, but start them when you do. Most hosts ask for either a National Police Check or an NDIS Worker Screening clearance. If your host also supports people with disability, NDIS Worker Screening may be needed, and a Working with Children or Vulnerable People check only if your host asks. Your host decides what it wants, so ask before you apply. Clearances can take weeks, and being ready for placement without one is a common reason a student is held up. Hosts may also ask for proof of vaccinations, such as the flu shot.
Do I need to already work in aged care?
No. If you do already work in aged care, your own paid job can be your placement, which makes the whole thing considerably simpler. If you do not, you find a host as described above.
Who marks my work?
The quizzes are marked automatically. Every decision about whether you are competent is made by a qualified MTI assessor — a real person. For many units that means a short phone or 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. You can retry work as many times as you need, at no charge.
Can I get credit for what I have already done?
Yes, possibly. If you hold an MTI Certificate III in Individual Support (CHC33021), you get credit for HLTWHS002, CHCDIV001, CHCCCS038 and CHCCCS023. If your Certificate III is from another provider, CHCCCS036 counts for CHCCCS025. Credit transfer means you do not repeat the unit; it does not reduce the course fee. Your 120 placement hours do not transfer. If you have a lot of experience, ask us about recognition of prior learning. Call 1300 931 628 and ask.
Who can enrol?
Adults (18 or over) living in Australia. We do not enrol students under 18, and this qualification is not available on a student visa.
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. Send a message and a person will come back to you, or call us.