What Jobs Can I Get with Cert IV in Ageing Support in Victoria?

CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support qualifies you for senior support and first-line leadership roles across Victoria’s aged care sector, including aged care team leader, care supervisor, residential care worker, community care worker and personal care attendant. It sits above the entry-level Certificate III, so the jobs it opens usually involve supervision, coordination or specialised care responsibilities rather than only basic personal care duties. This guide walks through the roles, where they exist in Victoria, what employers expect alongside the qualification, and how ALIT delivers the course at its West Melbourne campus.

The jobs you can apply for with CHC43015

The qualification reflects the role of support workers who complete specialised tasks and functions in aged services, working in residential, home or community environments. That training package description translates into a recognisable set of advertised positions in Victoria:

Leadership and coordination roles

• Aged care team leader — supervising a shift or household of personal care workers in a residential facility, and supporting new staff.
• Care supervisor — overseeing daily care delivery, assisting with rosters and monitoring care documentation against standards.
• Community program coordinator — planning and coordinating community-based programs and group activities for older people.
• Accommodation support worker — supporting older residents in supported and shared accommodation settings.

Direct care roles with added responsibility

• Residential care worker — delivering personal care in residential aged care with responsibility for individualised service planning and delivery.
• Personal care attendant or personal care worker — often engaged at a senior level in home care and community care teams.
• Day activity worker or lifestyle coordinator — running activities and lifestyle programs that support independence and wellbeing.
• In-home respite worker — providing planned respite so family carers can take breaks.

Job titles vary between employers, and some advertisements ask for a Certificate III or Certificate IV. Where a Certificate IV is listed, the role almost always includes leading other workers, coordinating services, or working with people living with dementia and other complex needs — exactly the competencies CHC43015 builds.

Where those jobs exist in Victoria

Victoria’s aged care system is in transition and growing at the same time. Residential aged care facilities across metropolitan Melbourne and regional centres continue to recruit direct care workers and team leaders. Home and community care is expanding: the Australian Government’s Support at Home program replaced the Home Care Packages Program and Short-Term Restorative Care Program on 1 November 2025, and in-home aged care continues to employ personal care workers, team leaders and coordinators. The Commonwealth Home Support Program and state-funded programs add further community-based roles through local councils, health services and community organisations.

In practical terms, employers hiring for the roles above include residential providers, home care providers, local government community services, community health services, and faith-based and community organisations. Victoria’s ageing population keeps demand for qualified supervisors and senior carers steady across both metropolitan and regional areas.

Cert III versus Cert IV: which jobs change

A Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) is the standard entry qualification for personal care work, while the Certificate IV is aimed at workers who already deliver care and want to take on specialised functions, service coordination and leadership. The clearest difference shows up in the roles employers will shortlist you for: with a Cert IV you become a credible candidate for team leader, care supervisor and program coordinator positions, while a Cert III alone usually points to entry-level personal care roles. ALIT’s comparison of Cert III Individual Support and Cert IV Ageing Support sets out the differences in detail.

What Victorian employers expect alongside the qualification

The certificate gets you shortlisted; the following are what providers typically attach to an offer of employment in aged care:

• Pre-employment checks — a national police check is standard, and a Working with Children Check applies where the role involves contact with children, such as intergenerational programs.
• Medication skills — many senior care roles expect the ability to assist clients with medication, which is why ALIT’s guide on whether aged care workers need HLTHPS006 in Victoria is worth reading before you apply.
• First aid — a current first aid certificate is commonly required for direct care roles.
• Work placement experience — the qualification itself requires at least 120 hours of work placement in an aged care setting as part of its assessment requirements, and many graduates convert placement connections into their first job.

How ALIT delivers CHC43015 in Victoria

ALIT delivers the Certificate IV in Ageing Support at its West Melbourne campus over 36 to 52 weeks, with monthly intakes so you can start when you are ready. The course is CRICOS approved (course code 114247G), so international students at ALIT can enrol, and Recognition of Prior Learning is available if you already have aged care experience or existing units from a Certificate III. Before enrolling, review ALIT’s guide to the entry requirements for Cert IV in Ageing Support and the full unit list to see how the qualification is structured.

Pay and career progression

Wages for aged care roles are set by the Aged Care Award 2010 (MA000018), and direct care workers have received substantial award increases through the Fair Work Commission’s Aged Care Work Value Case — including a 15 per cent increase for direct care employees in 2023 and further staged increases in 2025. Classification levels in the award rise with responsibility, which is precisely what a Cert IV targets: team leader and supervisor classifications sit above entry-level personal care rates. Check the Fair Work Ombudsman’s pay guide for the current minimum rates that apply to any role you are considering. For the dollar gap between the two levels, read ALIT’s guide to the pay difference between Cert III and Cert IV in aged care.

The qualification also opens a study pathway. Graduates commonly move on to a Diploma of Community Services, including case management streams, which prepares you for coordination and case management roles in aged and community services.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a job with a Cert III instead of a Cert IV?

Yes. A Certificate III in Individual Support qualifies you for entry-level personal care roles. The Cert IV matters when the advertised role involves leading other workers, supervising care delivery or coordinating services. Where those roles lead over a full career is mapped in ALIT’s guide to the career path after Cert IV in Ageing Support in Victoria.

Does the Cert IV include work placement?

Yes. The qualification requires at least 120 hours of work placement in an aged care setting as part of its assessment requirements. ALIT’s guide to how long CHC43015 takes explains how placement fits into the 36 to 52 week delivery.

What does a care supervisor actually do?

A care supervisor oversees the daily delivery of care in a facility or home care team: checking care plans are followed, supporting and directing personal care workers, handling documentation, and escalating clinical issues to nursing staff.

Will the qualification let me assist with medications?

That depends on the units included in your course and your employer’s medication policy. Many providers expect a dedicated medication unit — read ALIT’s guide to HLTHPS006 in aged care for how this works in Victoria.

Can I study the Cert IV while working?

Yes — the monthly intakes at ALIT’s West Melbourne campus and the 36 to 52 week delivery window are structured to suit people already working in care roles, and existing experience can also shorten the path through Recognition of Prior Learning.

To enrol or ask about the next intake, contact ALIT through the Certificate IV in Ageing Support course page or visit the West Melbourne campus. ALIT is a registered training organisation (RTO 45156) and CRICOS provider (03981M).