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 Sterilisation Services. It prepares people for work as sterilisation technician.
This is the current version of the qualification on the national register. It replaced HLT31112, whose currency ended on 4 August 2015.
The signals behind this qualification are mixed, and both sides are worth weighing. Specifically: employment in its occupations is projected to grow through 2035, the official shortage list does not rate its occupations in shortage and national enrolments are falling. 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.
Employer demand for these roles is holding steady. Across Sterilisation Technician, about 844 jobs were advertised online in May 2026 (up 4.5% on a year earlier). Roughly 9,888 openings were advertised over the last 12 months, while 2,545 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.
Fewer people are training in this qualification than a year earlier. National enrolments fell from 2,780 in 2023, to 2,545 in 2024 (down 8.5%).
Employment in these occupations is projected to grow. Government projections put them at 13,600 workers in May 2025, 14,100 by May 2030 (up 3.7%) and 14,900 by May 2035 (up 9%).
Outcomes for this specific qualification, each anchored against what is typical at the same qualification level nationally.
Outcomes for this qualification are mixed against others at Certificate III level. In the latest national outcomes survey (2025), 84.3% were employed or in further study after training, against a Certificate III median of 88% across 105 qualifications. Median income after training was $51,300, compared with $54,000 typical at this level. 93.5% 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.
The signals behind this qualification are mixed, and both sides are worth weighing. Specifically: employment in its occupations is projected to grow through 2035, the official shortage list does not rate its occupations in shortage and national enrolments are falling. These are official statistics, not a promise about any individual's result.
None of the occupations this qualification leads to is rated as in shortage on the official list. In the 2025 Occupation Shortage List assessment, Chemical Production Machine Operator, Motion Picture Projectionist, Sand Blaster, Sterilisation Technician and Machine Operators nec are rated not in shortage.
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.