Start Your Career in Aged Care and Disability Support
CHC33021 – Certificate III in Individual Support — Aged Care & Disability Support Course in Sydney
Nationally Recognised Training
- Delivery : Hybrid
- Specialist Stream : Ageing and Disability
- Intakes : Regular intakes throughout the year
- Funding : Fee-for-service. Smart and Skilled funding may be available to eligible students
Study your theory in structured, trainer-led online classes, work through set self-directed learning activities between them, and attend NTA’s Burwood campus in Sydney for simulation and practical sessions, then complete 120 hours of work placement in an aged care or disability services organisation.
Minimum 23 weeks
120 Hours Work Placement
15 Units
AQF 3 Certificate III
Burwood Sydney NSW
$2,000 (fee-for-service)
AQF Level 3
ASQA Registered
Smart and Skilled may apply
120 Hours Work Placement
Course Outline
CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support prepares you for work in community, home and residential care settings. You work under supervision and delegation as part of a multi-disciplinary team, following an individualised plan to provide person-centred support to people who need assistance because of ageing, disability or another reason. You take responsibility for your own work within your job role, and you build the factual, technical and procedural knowledge that person-centred support requires. At NTA this qualification is packaged as the Ageing and Disability specialisation, so you develop practical skills relevant to supporting people across aged care and disability services
The skills in this qualification must be applied in accordance with the appropriate Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice
NTA delivers CHC33021 from its Burwood campus in Sydney, with regular intakes throughout the year. Your theory is delivered as structured, trainer-led online classes through Open Learning, NTA’s learning platform — scheduled sessions with a trainer, not self-paced modules — supported by structured self-directed learning activities between classes, and your simulation, practical and assessment sessions are held face-to-face on campus. You complete 15 units of competency — 9 core units and 6 electives packaged as the Ageing and Disability specialisation — and at least 120 hours of work placement in an aged care or disability services organisation. You learn from experienced trainers, including Registered Nurses with relevant industry experience. You can study fee-for-service, and Smart and Skilled funding may be available to eligible students, subject to NSW Government eligibility requirements, NTA’s approved funding arrangements and availability of funded places
Delivered by Care Plus Training Pty Ltd trading as Nurse Training Australia, RTO ID 41009
Wish to Enrol in a Course
Entry Requirements
- There are no academic prerequisites for this qualification in the training package. NTA’s own admission requirements apply, and you must be at least 18 years of age at the time your course starts.
- You complete a short review with us to ascertain your suitability for the course and to arrange any language, literacy and numeracy support you may need.
- You have access to a computer or tablet and reliable internet, since your theory classes are delivered online through Open Learning.
- You apply for a Unique Student Identifier (USI) at usi.gov.au, or provide your existing USI. This is required for any nationally recognised qualification.
- Before your work placement you must hold a Working with Children Check, a valid NDIS Worker Screening Check, and a National Police Check issued within the last three years. Host organisations may also set their own immunisation and induction requirements.
Target Students
This course suits you if you want to work in residential aged care, home and community care, disability support services, NDIS-funded services, respite services, retirement villages or supported independent living. It also suits people already working in a care role who need a nationally recognised qualification, and people planning to move into a Certificate IV or Diploma later on.
NTA graduates normally seek employment in the following roles:
- Aged Care Worker
- Disability Support Worker
- Personal Care Worker
- Individual Support Worker
- Community Care Worker
- Residential Care Worker
Employment outcomes depend on successful completion of the qualification, employer requirements and individual suitability. NTA does not guarantee employment or a particular salary outcome.
Course Duration
NTA delivers CHC33021 over a minimum of 23 weeks, which includes your classroom and simulation study, your online units and your 120 hours of work placement.
Minimum 23 weeks is NTA’s standard delivery duration. It is not a guaranteed completion time — your actual completion date depends on your progression through the units, your assessment outcomes and the scheduling of your work placement.
| Activity | Mode |
|---|---|
| Theory classes | Structured, trainer-led online through Open Learning |
| Simulation, practical sessions and assessment | Face-to-face, NTA Burwood campus |
| Structured self-directed learning | Set activities and resources in Open Learning, completed in your own time |
| Work placement | Host organisation, during placement blocks |
Your theory classes are scheduled and led by a trainer — you attend them online at set times rather than working through modules on your own. Attendance at simulation and practical sessions on campus is required, because that is where your practical skills are assessed.
Between classes you complete structured self-directed learning. These are set activities and resources — readings, workbook tasks, case studies, research and practice exercises — provided to you through Open Learning and mapped to the units you are studying. You work through them in your own time and at your own arrangement; they are not supervised sessions. They are still part of your course rather than optional extra reading, and the work you do prepares you for the assessments that follow. Your progress through the course is monitored, and NTA will contact you if you fall behind so support can be put in place early.
To achieve this qualification you must complete at least 120 hours of work placement in an aged care or disability services organisation, as detailed in the assessment requirements of the units of competency. NTA coordinates your placement through its network of host organisations. Placement is arranged subject to your readiness — you must have completed the required pre-placement units and hold all mandatory clearances — and subject to host organisation requirements and placement availability. Host organisations set their own screening, immunisation and induction requirements and may decline a placement. Placement dates and locations are allocated by NTA and cannot be guaranteed for a particular site, shift pattern or suburb.
NTA runs regular intakes throughout the year, so you do not have to wait for a single annual start date. Contact us to confirm the next available start date and to check whether a funded place is open in that intake.
Course Location
NTA delivers CHC33021 over a minimum of 23 weeks, which includes your classroom and simulation study, your online units and your 120 hours of work placement.
Nurse Training Australia
Suite 106–108, 3 Railway Parade, Burwood NSW 2134
RTO ID 41009
The Burwood campus is a short walk from Burwood station, which is on the T1, T2 and T3 lines and served by buses from across the inner west and south-west Sydney. Burwood Westfield, cafes and parking are close by, so you can fit classes around work and family. Your theory classes are scheduled and delivered online through Open Learning, and you attend campus for simulation, practical sessions and assessments.
Course Delivery and Assessment
Course Delivery
This course is delivered in English. You learn from experienced trainers, including Registered Nurses with relevant industry experience, who teach across your online classes, the simulation environment and your assessments.
- Trainer-led online theory: structured classes delivered by your trainer through Open Learning, to a scheduled timetable with set submission dates. These are taught sessions, not self-paced modules.
- Face-to-face simulation: hands-on practice in a purpose-built simulation environment at Burwood, so you are confident before you go on placement.
- On-campus practical sessions and assessment: skills practice and practical assessment with your trainer at the Burwood campus.
- Structured self-directed learning: set readings, workbook tasks, case studies and practice activities provided through Open Learning and mapped to your units, which you complete in your own time between classes.
- Work placement: 120 hours in an aged care or disability services organisation, where you apply what you have learned in a real workplace.
Course Assessment
As this is a nationally recognised qualification, you must successfully complete all 15 units to meet the requirements. Each unit contains assessments which include:
- Assessment method 1: Knowledge-based assessments
- Assessment method 2: Projects and case studies
- Assessment method 3: Practical demonstrations in a simulated environment
- Assessment method 4: Demonstration of skills in the workplace during your placement
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Credit Transfers
You may already have developed a number of relevant skills through previous employment, life experience or formal study. If this is the case, you are encouraged to enquire about Recognition of Prior Learning, which may shorten your course. If you have already completed units of competency with another registered training organisation, you can apply for Credit Transfer instead. Each application is assessed on its own merits, and you will need to provide suitable evidence before a decision is made.
Study Units and Qualification
You will need to complete the following to meet the requirements of the qualification:
- Ageing and Disability specialisation — 9 core units and 6 elective units (15 units in total)
The details of the core and elective units are set out in the table below.
| Unit Code | Unit Code Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| CHCCCS031 | Provide individualised support | C |
| CHCCCS038 | Facilitate the empowerment of people receiving support | C |
| CHCCCS040 | Support independence and wellbeing | C |
| CHCCCS041 | Recognise healthy body systems | C |
| CHCCOM005 | Communicate and work in health or community services | C |
| CHCDIV001 | Work with diverse people | C |
| CHCLEG001 | Work legally and ethically | C |
| HLTINF006 | Apply basic principles and practices of infection prevention and control | C |
| HLTWHS002 | Follow safe work practices for direct client care | C |
| CHCAGE011 | Provide support to people living with dementia | E |
| CHCAGE013 | Work effectively in aged care | E |
| CHCPAL003 | Deliver care services using a palliative approach | E |
| CHCDIS011 | Contribute to ongoing skills development using a strengths-based approach | E |
| CHCDIS012 | Support community participation and social inclusion | E |
| CHCDIS020 | Work effectively in disability support | E |
C = Core; E = Elective
Educational Pathways
After achieving CHC33021 you have a number of pathway options. Some of them include:
- CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support with NTA
- CHC43121 Certificate IV in Disability Support with NTA
- CHC43315 Certificate IV in Mental Health with NTA
- CHC52025 Diploma of Community Services (Case Management) with NTA
- A Bachelor of Nursing or a related degree with a higher education provider, subject to that provider’s entry requirements
Course Fees & Funding
The fee-for-service cost is set out below. If you are eligible for NSW Smart and Skilled, your fee will be different — see the Smart and Skilled section that follows.
Fee-for-service
| Fee item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition fee | $1,850 |
| Application fee | $150 |
| Total course cost | $2,000 |
- Fees shown are current as at August 2026 and are subject to change.
- Fees are fee-for-service and shown in Australian dollars. Accepted payment methods, payment plans and any associated charges are set out in NTA’s Domestic Student Terms and Fees and Refunds Policy, which are provided to you in writing before your enrolment is confirmed and before any fees are accepted.
- You must read and accept NTA’s Domestic Student Terms before your enrolment is confirmed and before any fees are accepted.
- If Recognition of Prior Learning or Credit Transfer is granted, your fees are adjusted to reflect the units you still need to complete, and the revised amount is confirmed to you in writing before you accept it.
Additional costs
The total course cost above covers tuition and your application fee. The following costs are additional and are not included. Current amounts for each item are set out in NTA’s Schedule of Fees and Charges, which is provided to you in writing before your enrolment is confirmed and before any fees are accepted.
- A device and reliable internet access for the online components
- Printing, stationery and personal study materials
- Uniform and enclosed non-slip footwear for simulation and placement
- Working with Children Check, NDIS Worker Screening Check and National Police Check
- Immunisation and vaccination evidence required by host organisations
- Re-assessment fees, replacement certificate fees and late payment fees where they apply
FAQs
How long does CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support take at NTA?
NTA delivers CHC33021 over a minimum of 23 weeks, which includes your classroom and simulation study, your online units and 120 hours of work placement. That is NTA’s standard delivery duration, not a guaranteed completion time — your actual finish date depends on your progression, your assessment outcomes and when your placement is scheduled.
How much does the Certificate III in Individual Support cost in Sydney?
The total course cost is $2,000, made up of a $1,850 tuition fee and a $150 application fee. Fees are current as at August 2026 and are subject to change. Additional costs such as your uniform, placement screening checks and printing are not included and are listed in NTA’s Schedule of Fees and Charges.
How many hours of work placement do I need to complete?
You must complete at least 120 hours of work placement in an aged care or disability services organisation, as required by the assessment requirements of the units. NTA coordinates placement through its network of host organisations, subject to your readiness, host requirements and availability. You will need a Working with Children Check, an NDIS Worker Screening Check and a National Police Check before you start.
What jobs can I apply for with a Certificate III in Individual Support?
Graduates commonly seek roles such as Aged Care Worker, Disability Support Worker, Personal Care Worker, Individual Support Worker, Community Care Worker and Residential Care Worker. Employment outcomes depend on successful completion of the qualification, employer requirements and individual suitability. NTA does not guarantee employment or a particular salary outcome.
Is the course online or on campus?
It is a hybrid course, and it is taught rather than self-paced. Your theory is delivered as structured, trainer-led online classes through Open Learning to a scheduled timetable — you attend at set times. Between classes you complete structured self-directed learning: set activities and resources provided through Open Learning that you work through in your own time. Your simulation, practical and assessment sessions are face-to-face at NTA’s Burwood campus in Sydney, and your work placement is completed with a host organisation.
What is the Ageing and Disability specialisation?
CHC33021 allows electives to be packaged into a specialisation. NTA delivers all three Group A (Ageing) electives and all three Group B (Disability) electives, so you are awarded the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability) and develop practical skills relevant to supporting people across aged care and disability services.
Can I get credit for study or experience I already have?
Yes. If you hold relevant units from another registered training organisation you can apply for Credit Transfer, and if you have relevant workplace experience you can apply for Recognition of Prior Learning, which may shorten your course. Each application is assessed on its own merits and you will need to provide suitable evidence before a decision is made.
Is CHC33021 government funded in NSW?
It can be. Smart and Skilled funding may be available to eligible students for this course, subject to NSW Government eligibility requirements, NTA’s approved funding arrangements and availability of funded places. Where it applies, you pay a student fee set by the NSW Government rather than the fee-for-service price.
Am I eligible for Smart and Skilled?
You generally need to be 15 or over, no longer at school, living or working in NSW, and an Australian citizen, permanent resident, humanitarian visa holder or New Zealand citizen. Your entitlement also depends on qualifications you already hold. Call NTA on (02) 9715 6528 or use the eligibility check on this page and we will confirm your position before you enrol.
How much is the Smart and Skilled student fee for this course?
Smart and Skilled student fees are set by the NSW Government, not by NTA, and are calculated through the NSW Provider Calculator. Depending on your circumstances you may pay the standard student fee, a lower concession fee, or nothing at all if you qualify for a fee exemption or a fee-free scholarship. We confirm your exact fee in writing before you enrol.
When can I start?
NTA runs regular intakes throughout the year for CHC33021, so you do not need to wait for a single annual start date. Contact us to confirm the next available start date and whether a subsidised place is open in that intake.