A nationally recognised qualification on the National Register of vocational education and training. This page answers the questions that actually decide whether it is worth your time and money: is the work there, what happens to people who finish, who pays, and who you could study it with. Every figure carries its source and date.
Often searched as Cert 3 in Food Processing. It prepares people for work as food and drink factory workers nec.
This is the current version of the qualification on the national register. It replaced FBP30617 and FBP30117, whose currency ended on 7 September 2021.
Only limited independent signals are available for this qualification yet. These are official statistics, not a promise about any individual's result.
Three official signals crossed: live job advertisements, the national training pipeline, and government employment projections.
Employers are advertising more of these roles than a year ago. Across Food And Drink Factory Workers Nec, about 131 jobs were advertised online in May 2026 (up 16.5% on a year earlier). Roughly 1,470 openings were advertised over the last 12 months, while 1,880 people enrolled in the qualification nationally in 2024. Enrolment counts people in training, not completions, so the two figures describe the pipeline and the market, not a job guarantee.
Enrolments in this qualification are steady. National enrolments moved from 1,830 in 2023, to 1,880 in 2024 (up 2.7%).
Employment in these occupations is projected to stay about flat. Government projections put them at 28,100 workers in May 2025, 27,900 by May 2030 (down 0.8%) and 28,900 by May 2035 (up 2.8%).
Outcomes for this specific qualification, each anchored against what is typical at the same qualification level nationally.
Outcomes for this qualification run below what is typical for a Certificate III. In the latest national outcomes survey (2025), 77.1% were employed or in further study after training, against a Certificate III median of 88% across 105 qualifications. Median income after training was $54,000, compared with $54,000 typical at this level. 87.8% were satisfied with the training, against 90.6% typical.
The three wallets: a subsidised seat, paying full fee, and the time commitment that decides whether you can keep working.
Subsidy programs change and have eligibility rules. The official listing linked above is the source of truth; no dollar amounts are shown here because they vary by person and provider.
Fees for unsubsidised places are set by each training provider and vary widely. Provider pricing, intakes and payment options live on the individual course pages linked below, never on this page.
The crossing no single dataset can give you: official shortage status, subsidy availability and training demand, read together.
Only limited independent signals are available for this qualification yet. These are official statistics, not a promise about any individual's result.
Approval to deliver is a regulatory fact, not a recommendation. Start with who is approved, then compare actual courses.
The five questions people actually ring up and ask, answered only where official data backs the answer.