Aged Care and Disability Qualifications
Nationally recognised training
Study aged care and disability support with a nationally recognised qualification. CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support is the qualification aged care employers and NDIS providers look for in hands-on personal care roles, and Upskilled delivers it 100% online and self-paced in three streams: Ageing, Disability, and Ageing and Disability. Every stream includes a supervised work placement.
Ageing, Disability, or Ageing and Disability
All three streams are CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support and carry the same national code. The Ageing stream trains you to support older people. The Disability stream trains you to support people with disability. The Ageing and Disability stream covers both and keeps the widest range of roles open.
| Ageing | Disability | Ageing and Disability | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National code | CHC33021 | CHC33021 | CHC33021 |
| You support | Older people | People with disability | Both |
| Typical settings | Residential aged care, in-home aged care | Supported independent living, community and in-home NDIS support | Any of the above |
| Hands-on personal care | Included | Included | Included |
| Typical duration | Up to 12 months, self-paced | Up to 12 months, self-paced | Up to 12 months, self-paced |
| Work placement | Mandatory, supported | Mandatory, supported | Mandatory, supported |
| Entry requirements | None formal | None formal | None formal |
| Further study | Certificate IV and Diploma level community services qualifications offered by Upskilled | ||
What CHC33021 covers that a short course does not
Hands-on personal care requires a nationally accredited qualification. Personal care work such as showering, toileting, dressing, transfers, mobility assistance and medication support is assessed inside CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support, including during a supervised work placement in a real care setting.
Non-accredited introductory care short courses are a different product. They are designed for non-personal-care and domestic support work such as meals, cleaning, shopping, transport, companionship and community access, they lead to a Certificate of Completion rather than a qualification, and they include no work placement. A Statement of Attainment is partial completion of CHC33021, not the full qualification.
Completing CHC33021 is designed to prepare you for personal care roles. It does not guarantee employment, it does not license you to practise, and employers also consider your experience and the police and worker screening checks required in both sectors.
Career Outcomes
How can the aged care and disability courses help me build my career in community services?
A Certificate III in Individual Support qualifies you for entry-level roles, but also provides a pathway for career growth. With additional training and experience, you can progress into:
- Care Coordinator – Overseeing care plans and support teams.
- Case Manager – Assessing client needs and connecting them with services.
- Community Services Manager – Leading programs that support aged care and disability services.
Upskilled’s nationally recognised qualifications help you gain the skills needed for career advancement, whether you want to specialise, lead a team, or transition into related areas like social work or healthcare administration.
Reviews - Aged Care and Disability Courses
I’ve been studying with upskilled for 11 months now, just over half way through my Cert 3, Individual Support Aged Care and Disability. The support offered by Jacqui Salvage, Program Coordinator, in particular has been greatly appreciated. The online zoom meetings with Jacqui and other students has been essential for me to take part in, I’m grateful they have these at various times during the week. Support from Erica with work placement has been great too. The Upskilled Team are great at what they do and so helpful as you navigate the role plays and assessments. I would recommend upskilled for anyone seeking further education.
Once again, thanks particularly to Jacqui.
Personally I enjoyed the selected content of the course! What I appreciate most is the way is organised! I never found a school website/platform so well organised in every details!! I personally struggle with concentration and find the “immersive reader” tool was truly a gift! Jackie is an incredible teacher: very efficient, supportive, helpful and friendly! I wish the school is gonna introduce soon the Certificate IV of Individual Support !!! Thank you all!
My experience with Upskilled has been excellent. The variety of resources and flexible scheduling have made learning convenient and enjoyable. I had access to diverse learning materials, including Zoom meetings, discussions, and reading materials. I particularly appreciated the teachers' availability to answer messages or reschedule meetings as needed. This support significantly enhanced my studying experience.
My Experience with upskilled's coordinator Mr Ronnie, is absolutely amazing, his such a great teacher and his explanation in regarding the course are very clear and very helpful. Since I started he was always there when needed help with the course. Mr Ronnie makes you understand how to reach your goal of understanding of each session and the progress is very successful. Keep up with the good work Ronnie, and i recommend Upskilled's and Ronnie to every student and do not hesitate to contact all staff there as there a very grateful and will attend helping you straight away. One more think, I wouldn't be able to do this with out you (Ronnie) helping and supporting me, overall his fantastic. I look forward to the next meeting.
Aged care and disability qualification FAQs
Yes. Every qualification on this page is CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support, a nationally recognised qualification under the Australian Qualifications Framework, delivered online by Upskilled (RTO 40374) in three streams: Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing), Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability) and Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability).
Yes. Hands-on personal care work, such as showering, toileting, dressing, transfers, mobility assistance and medication support, requires a nationally accredited qualification, and CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support is the one aged care employers and NDIS providers look for. Non-accredited introductory care short courses are designed for non-personal-care and domestic support work such as meals, cleaning, transport and companionship, and they do not prepare you for personal care.
Choose by the people you want to support. The Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) focuses on supporting older people in residential and in-home aged care. The Certificate III in Individual Support (Disability) focuses on supporting people with disability, including NDIS-funded support. The Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability) covers both specialisations in one qualification and keeps the widest range of roles open.
Yes. CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support includes a mandatory supervised work placement in a real care setting, and Upskilled provides placement support to help you arrange it. Placement is one of the clearest differences between the qualification and any short course, because it is where hands-on personal care skills are assessed.
CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support is delivered 100% online and self-paced, and is typically completed within 12 months alongside work and family commitments. The mandatory work placement is scheduled during the course. Because study is self-paced, many students finish sooner by studying more hours per week.
CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support is designed to prepare you for roles such as aged care worker, personal care assistant, disability support worker, residential care worker, home care assistant and community support worker, depending on your stream and experience. No qualification guarantees a specific job, and employers also consider experience, police and worker screening checks and local demand.
The Certificate III is the entry qualification for the sector. From there, Upskilled offers further nationally recognised study in community services, including the Certificate III in Community Services (CHC32015), the Certificate IV in Mental Health (CHC43315) and the Diploma of Community Services (CHC52025), which sits at the top of the community services study ladder offered by Upskilled.
Upskilled provides comprehensive student support, including:
- Expert trainers – Get guidance from experienced professionals.
- Live Q&A sessions and discussion forums – Connect with trainers and peers.
- Interactive online learning – Engage with quizzes, case studies, and assessments.
- Work placement opportunities – Gain hands-on experience in real-world settings.
These resources ensure you’re well-prepared for a successful career in the industry.
Travis Hackett
Head of Vocational Education — CHC, Upskilled
Travis leads the CHC Community Services stream at Upskilled and brings more than 28 years of frontline and leadership experience across the sector. His career spans disability services, child protection casework with FaCS, youth services, harm minimisation programs with NSW Health, youth justice conferencing, and counselling. Travis is also a registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner with the Attorney-General's Department. He reviews Upskilled's CHC course content to ensure it reflects current sector practice and prepares students for meaningful, impactful work in Community Services roles.
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