What is the Difference Between Cert III Individual Support and Cert IV Ageing Support?

Cert III in Individual Support (CHC33021) is the entry-level qualification — it trains you to deliver person-centred support under supervision and delegation, following an individualised plan. Cert IV in Ageing Support (CHC43015) is the progression qualification for specialised aged care work — facilitating service plans, coordinating services for older people and supporting people living with dementia, with more autonomy and expectations of team leadership.

The two certificates answer different questions. The Cert III asks: can you provide safe, respectful direct support? The Cert IV asks: can you take responsibility for specialised outcomes and coordinate others? This guide compares the two so you can see which door you are standing at — and what changes when you step through it.

Two qualifications, two jobs

CHC33021 reflects the role of workers in community, home or residential settings who work under supervision and delegation as part of a multidisciplinary team, following an individualised plan to provide person-centred support to people who may need help due to ageing, disability or another reason. It is the qualification most support workers start with. ALIT’s guide to what CHC33021 is explains how it sits at the base of the community services stream.

CHC43015 reflects the role of support workers who complete specialised tasks and functions in aged services — in residential facilities, homes and community settings. Those tasks include facilitating the interests and rights of older people, coordinating their services, supporting people living with dementia, contributing to a palliative approach, and maintaining quality service delivery through developing, facilitating and reviewing individualised service planning. ALIT’s guide to what CHC43015 is covers the qualification-level picture.

Put simply: the Cert III graduate supports a person; the Cert IV graduate designs how that support happens and takes responsibility for it being right.

Units: fifteen versus eighteen

CHC33021 is made up of fifteen units of competency — nine core units and six electives. The electives create the specialisations: completing the ageing electives earns the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing), the disability set earns the Disability specialisation, and both together earn Ageing and Disability. ALIT’s aged-care-focused delivery includes units such as CHCAGE011 Provide support to people living with dementia and CHCAGE013 Work effectively in aged care. The full unit list is in ALIT’s guide to what Certificate III in Individual Support covers.

CHC43015 is bigger: eighteen units, made up of fifteen core units and three electives. There is no specialisation choice in the same way — the qualification is already specialised. The core covers the empowerment of older people, coordination of their services, relationships with carers and families, dementia support, palliative care and legal and ethical compliance. ALIT’s elective stream adds HLTAID011 Provide First Aid, CHCCCS033 Identify and report abuse, and HLTHPS006 Assist clients with medication. The unit-by-unit breakdown is in ALIT’s guide to what Cert IV in Ageing Support covers.

The shape of the difference is this: the Cert III builds broad foundations; the Cert IV assumes those foundations and builds depth in aged care specifically.

Work placement: the same 120-hour floor

Both qualifications require at least 120 hours of work placement, as detailed in the assessment requirements of their units of competency. What changes is what the assessor is looking for. At Cert III, placement evidence shows you can deliver support safely and person-centredly under supervision. At Cert IV, the evidence needs to show you can facilitate a service plan, coordinate services with other providers, and respond to the specialised needs of older people.

Placement is a scheduled part of the course at both levels — treat it as a commitment rather than an add-on, and ask the admissions team how placement blocks are arranged before you enrol.

Duration and study at ALIT

ALIT delivers CHC33021 at its West Melbourne campus with monthly intakes, a listed duration of 36 weeks, and recognition of prior learning available for experienced workers. Current details are always on the Certificate III in Individual Support course page.

CHC43015 runs over 36–52 weeks, also at West Melbourne with monthly intakes and RPL available, and international students can enrol under CRICOS course code 114247G. Current fees and intake dates are on the Certificate IV in Ageing Support course page.

Careers: where each one leads

The Cert III opens direct support roles: personal care worker, residential support worker, in-home support worker, community access worker. These are the roles that keep daily life running for older Australians.

The Cert IV is aimed at the next rung: senior support worker, care service team leader, service coordinator — positions where you supervise volunteers or other workers, contribute to service planning and carry specialised responsibility. If your ambition is to coordinate a care team or move towards management in aged care, this is the qualification that gets you there. The award rates behind each classification are compared in ALIT’s guide to the pay difference between Cert III and Cert IV in aged care. The longer arc beyond it — management, case management and further study — is mapped in ALIT’s guide to the career path after Cert IV in Ageing Support.

Which one should you start with?

If you have not worked in support before, start with the Cert III. It is the recognised entry point, and its content assumes no prior sector experience. The national packaging rules for CHC43015 do not list a mandatory entry qualification, but the course is pitched at workers who already understand support work — most students arrive holding a Cert III or with substantial sector experience. Ask the admissions team how your history is treated for the intake you are considering.

If you already hold the Cert III and want to specialise and progress in aged care, the Cert IV is the logical next step — and recognition of prior learning can shorten the path, because ALIT assesses RPL for both qualifications.

One last consideration: if your interest is disability rather than ageing, the parallel choice is between the Cert III disability specialisation and CHC43121 Certificate IV in Disability Support, which is a comparison with a different unit map and a shorter duration.

FAQ

Is Cert IV in Ageing Support higher than Cert III in Individual Support?

Yes. CHC33021 sits at level 3 of the Australian Qualifications Framework and CHC43015 at level 4. The Cert IV assumes foundation skills and adds specialised, coordinator-level capability.

Can I go straight into the Cert IV without the Cert III?

The packaging rules do not mandate a prior qualification, but the course assumes familiarity with support work. Providers set their own admissions expectations — check with ALIT’s admissions team for the intake you are considering.

Do both qualifications require work placement?

Yes — at least 120 hours each, completed in a relevant workplace and assessed against the units’ requirements.

How long does each take at ALIT?

CHC33021 is listed at 36 weeks; CHC43015 runs over 36–52 weeks. Both have monthly intakes at the West Melbourne campus.

Does the Cert IV include first aid and medication assistance?

In ALIT’s delivery, yes — HLTAID011 Provide First Aid and HLTHPS006 Assist clients with medication are in the elective stream, alongside CHCCCS033 Identify and report abuse.