Certificate 3 Guarantee (QLD) Government Funding

The Certificate 3 Guarantee is a Queensland Government initiative which subsidises Certificate III courses for eligible Queenslanders.

Funding is available for:

• Your first post-school Certificate III qualification
• Pathways into a Certificate III if necessary (eg. Certificate I & II)
• Free Certificate III courses in priority areas for Year 12 leavers

The program aims to provide more people with an entry-level qualification, which often leads to better chances of getting a job in growing industries (like aged care, hospitality and small business), and a higher income.

If you’ve never completed a Certificate III or higher, this program offers access to a government subsidised training place for a Certificate III qualification.

If you need more support to get ready for Certificate III level study, you may receive funding for a pathway into a Certificate III level course, in terms of subsidising the skills development or training you’d need. This could mean foundation skills training, such as literacy, numeracy and language. It could also mean Certificates I and II that lead into the Certificate III.

If you have finished year 12 within the last year, you may be eligible to get all your training costs covered by the government – meaning your qualification is free.

Students pay a co-contribution fee to the cost of the course, which will vary depending on the size of the subsidy and the cost of the course.

Subsidies are fixed and paid directly to the Registered Training Organisation (RTO), but course costs can vary between training providers. High priority courses attract a higher subsidy, which means the student pays much less. 

Students with healthcare or pension concession cards, or who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander receive higher subsidies.

The Certificate 3 Guarantee program is open to you if:

If all of these criteria apply to you, you may be eligible to enrol in the Certificate 3 Guarantee and receive subsidised training.

This funding applies to a range of Certificate III level qualifications. The Department of Employment, Small Business and Training publishes this list of qualifications and subsidies.

You will then need to choose a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) from the list of pre-qualified suppliers.

The first step to apply for the Certificate 3 Guarantee funding is to check your eligibility. 

A guide to government funded courses and subsidised training for each state of Australia.