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DEF30120Certificate IIICurrentDEF training package

DEF30120 Certificate III in Explosive Ordnance Maintenance

DEF30120 is the nationally recognised Certificate III behind defence force member - other ranks work. It has been the current version on the national register since 2020, when it replaced DEF32315. 130 people enrolled in 2025, up 116.7% on the year before.

Often searched as Cert 3 in Explosive Ordnance Maintenance · Register data synced 18 Sept 2026 from training.gov.au
Long-term outlook
Positive
Two structural signals up
Register status
Current
Replaced DEF32315 in 2020
Enrolments
Rising fast
Up 116.7% in a year
Funding status
Verification pending
Checked against official state program lists
The short answer

The independent signals behind the Certificate III in Explosive Ordnance Maintenance line up. Employment is projected to grow through 2035 and enrolments are rising. These are official statistics, not a promise about your result.

Jobs and Skills Australia

Is the work there?

Ten year outlook

Defence force member - other ranks jobs are projected to grow. Jobs and Skills Australia projections put these occupations at 4,066 workers in May 2025, 4,279 by May 2030 (up 5.2%) and 4,450 by May 2035 (up 9.4%).

4,066
workers, May 2025
4,279
workers, May 2030
4,450
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 Total VET Activity

Who is training

More people are choosing the Certificate III in Explosive Ordnance Maintenance every year. Across Australia, 60 people enrolled in 2024. In 2025 it was 130, up 116.7% in a year. National data for DEF30120 starts in 2021.

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 DEF30120 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 DEF30120 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 Certificate III in Explosive Ordnance Maintenance is 15 units: 2 core, plus 13 electives chosen from 41 options on the register.

  • DEFEXO001Work safely with explosive ordnance
  • TLID1001Shift materials safely using manual handling methods
View the 41 elective options
  • BSBSUS211Participate in sustainable work practices
  • DEFEXO002Respond to fire
  • DEFEXO003Establish and maintain the safety and security of explosive warehouses and workshops
  • DEFEXO005Package explosives
  • DEFEXO006Unpackage explosives
  • DEFEXO007Monitor explosive ordnance environmental conditions
  • DEFEXO008Conduct explosives inspection
  • DEFEXO012Conduct electrical/electronic circuitry tests
  • DEFEXO013Conduct external explosive ordnance maintenance
  • DEFEXO014Gauge explosives
  • DEFEXO016Conduct explosives packaging inspection
  • DEFEXO017Examine and certify free from explosives
  • DEFEXO019Refurbish explosives packaging
  • DEFEXO021Breakdown explosive ordnance
  • DEFEXO022Fuze and defuze explosive ordnance
  • DEFEXO023Assemble and disassemble explosive components
  • DEFEXO063Operate a large quantity explosives facility
  • DEFEXO064Load and unload platforms
  • DEFEXO066Inspect explosive facilities
  • DEFEXO068Establish and operate an explosive field storage site
  • DEFEXO071Test for the presence of explosive substances
  • DEFEXO101Dispose of explosives
  • DEFEXO102Destroy unexploded ordnance
  • DEFGEN007Conduct risk assessment in a Defence environment
  • DEFGEN008Treat risk within Defence at an operational level
  • DEFGEN014Act as a range safety officer on a permanent range
  • DEFGEN024Supervise engineering and logistic tasks
  • DEFMIL127Conduct range practices
  • HLTAID011Provide First Aid
  • PUAFER004Respond to facility emergencies
  • TLIA2022Participate in stocktakes
  • TLIA3015Complete receival/despatch documentation
  • TLIB3006Carry out inspection of vehicles designed to carry special loads
  • TLIC3063Operate vehicle carrying special loads
  • TLID2012Operate specialised load shifting equipment
  • TLID2016Load and unload explosives/dangerous goods
  • TLID3015Identify and label explosives/dangerous goods
  • TLID3027Prepare for transport of dangerous goods
  • TLIE3002Estimate/calculate mass, area and quantify dimensions
  • TLIF1002Conduct housekeeping activities
  • TLIF2012Apply safe procedures when handling/transporting dangerous goods or explosives
training.gov.au national register, DEF30120 release 1
Same training package

What skill sets come from the DEF training package?

Risk Assessment Skill Set
DEFSS00039 · skill set guide
Handle Explosive Ordnance and Dangerous Goods
DEFSS00022 · skill set guide
Where to study

Where can I study DEF30120?

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.

Browse courses
How we calculate these figures

Get Course maps DEF30120 to its occupations using the register’s own outcome wording, shown with ANZSCO codes (here, 4411) 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. Funding rows appear only after verification against the official state program list. Source vintages: NCVER Total VET Activity 2025 collection; employment projections May 2025 to May 2035 release; register training.gov.au, synced 18 September 2026; 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.