CPC32420Certificate IIICurrentCPC training package
CPC32420 Certificate III in Plumbing
CPC32420 is the nationally recognised Certificate III behind plumber (general) work. It has been the current version on the national register since 2020, when it replaced CPC32413. About 1,364 plumber (general) jobs were advertised in June 2026, up 5.8% on a year earlier.
Often searched as Cert 3 in Plumbing · Register data synced 18 Sept 2026 from training.gov.au
Online job ads · June 2026
1,364last month
Plumber (general) roles advertised across Australia
Up on a year earlier
Long-term outlook
Positive
Two structural signals up
Register status
Current
Replaced CPC32413 in 2020
Enrolments
Steady
Up 4.3% in a year
Funding status
Verification pending
Checked against official state program lists
The short answer
The independent signals behind the Certificate III in Plumbing line up. Plumber (general)s are in national shortage, employment is projected to grow through 2035 and job ads in June 2026 were up 5.8% on a year earlier. These are official statistics, not a promise about your result.
Jobs and Skills Australia
Is the work there?
Employers are posting more plumber (general) jobs than a year ago. About 1,364 plumber (general) jobs were advertised online in June 2026, up 5.8% on a year earlier. Over the last 12 months there were about 16,100 job ads, while 21,365 people were training in the qualification nationally (2025). Ads show the market. Enrolments show the pipeline. Neither is a job promise.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index · latest month June 2026 · ANZSCO 3341
Combined monthly online job ads across Plumber (General), to June 2026
Official shortage list
Australia's official shortage list rates airconditioning and mechanical services plumbers, drainers, gasfitters, roof plumbers, plumber (general)s and fire protection plumbers as in shortage. The 2025 Occupation Shortage List rates Airconditioning and Mechanical Services Plumber, Drainer, Gasfitter, Roof Plumber, Plumber (General) and Fire Protection Plumber as in national shortage.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation Shortage List · 2025 assessment
Ten year outlook
Plumber (general) jobs are projected to grow. Jobs and Skills Australia projections put these occupations at 103,573 workers in May 2025, 108,958 by May 2030 (up 5.2%) and 114,160 by May 2035 (up 10.2%).
103,573
workers, May 2025
108,958
workers, May 2030
114,160
workers, May 2035
Jobs and Skills Australia employment projections · May 2025 to May 2035
Occupation mapping by Get Course, shown with ANZSCO codes so it can be checked.
NCVER Student Outcomes
How graduates do
Certificate III in Plumbing graduates do better than is typical at Certificate III level. In the 2025 NCVER Student Outcomes survey, 96.4% were employed or in further study after training. The typical Certificate III result is 88%, across 105 qualifications. Median income after training was $79,400, against $54,000 typical. 90% were satisfied with the training, against 90.6% typical. Income here is the survey median about six months after training. It includes part-time work, so it is not the full-time award rate.
96.4%
employed or in further study after training (2025)
typical 88% across 105 Certificate IIIs
$79,400
median income after training (2025)
typical $54,000 across 85 Certificate IIIs
90%
satisfied with the training (2025)
typical 90.6% across 105 Certificate IIIs
Level benchmarks are medians computed by Get Course across all Certificate IIIs in the same collection, not official NCVER benchmarks.
NCVER Student Outcomes · 2025 survey
NCVER Total VET Activity
Who is training
Enrolments in the Certificate III in Plumbing are steady. Across Australia, 20,485 people enrolled in 2024. In 2025 it was 21,365, up 4.3% in a year. National data for CPC32420 starts in 2021.
2019
not yet introduced
2020
not yet introduced
20
2021
5,670
2022
14,220
2023
20,485
2024
21,365
2025
NCVER Total VET Activity · 2025 collection
training.gov.au · Australian Qualifications Framework
What does studying it involve?
The register and the national framework set some of this. Providers set the rest.
How long it takes
A Certificate III is typically 1 to 2 years of full-time study under the Australian Qualifications Framework. Providers set the exact length and pace.
Delivery
Providers set the delivery mode.
Credit for experience
Recognition of prior learning applies to CPC32420 like any qualification on the national register: an approved provider assesses your evidence against each unit.
training.gov.au national register; Australian Qualifications Framework.
State subsidised training lists
What does it cost, and who funds it?
State funding for CPC32420 is being verified against official program lists.
Eligibility and student contributions vary by program and provider. The official state listing is the source of truth. In a subsidised place the government pays most of the tuition and you pay a co-contribution set by the program and provider.
Official state subsidised training program lists, verified per state. Full-fee prices will appear here as partner courses are listed.
training.gov.au · unit packaging
What is in the qualification
The register lists 43 core units for the Certificate III in Plumbing, plus 53 elective options. Prerequisites apply to 85 of them, marked below.
CPCCCM2012Work safely at heights (has prerequisites)
CPCPCM2039Carry out interactive workplace communication
CPCPCM2040Read plans, calculate quantities and mark out materials (has prerequisites)
CPCPCM2041Work effectively in the plumbing services sector
CPCPCM2043Carry out WHS requirements
CPCPCM2045Handle and store plumbing materials (has prerequisites)
View all 43 core units
CPCPCM2046Use plumbing hand and power tools (has prerequisites)
CPCPCM2047Carry out levelling (has prerequisites)
CPCPCM2048Cut and join sheet metal (has prerequisites)
CPCPCM2054Carry out simple concreting and rendering (has prerequisites)
CPCPCM2055Work safely on roofs (has prerequisites)
CPCPCM3021Flash penetrations through roofs and walls (has prerequisites)
CPCPCM3022Weld polymer pipes using fusion method (has prerequisites)
CPCPCM3023Fabricate and install non-ferrous pressure piping (has prerequisites)
No Get Course partner currently lists this qualification. Check the national register for organisations approved to deliver it, and remember that approval to deliver is a regulatory fact, not a recommendation. You can browse live courses from our partners and enquire today.
Get Course maps CPC32420 to its occupations using the register’s own outcome wording, shown with ANZSCO codes (here, 3341) so the mapping can be checked. Job advertisement counts come from the Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index and count online ads, not vacancies filled. Enrolment counts come from NCVER Total VET Activity and count people in training, not completions. Outcome benchmarks marked “typical” are medians computed by Get Course across all Certificate IIIs in the same NCVER collection; they are derived figures, not official NCVER benchmarks. Funding rows appear only after verification against the official state program list. Source vintages: NCVER Total VET Activity 2025 collection; Occupation Shortage List 2025 assessment; Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index latest month June 2026; employment projections May 2025 to May 2035 release; register training.gov.au, synced 15 September 2026; NCVER Student Outcomes survey 2025 survey; register synced 18 Sept 2026. Page last updated 19 Sept 2026.
About this page. Every number on this page shows its source and date. Register data synced 18 Sept 2026 from training.gov.au. Compiled by Get Course from public data sources. It is not provided or endorsed by any training organisation, and nothing here is advice about your individual situation. Statistics describe groups; your result depends on you. If you represent a training organisation and want to correct or add to this page, contact hello@getcourse.com.au.