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.
It prepares people for work as telecommunications network engineer.
This is the current version of the qualification on the national register. It replaced ICT80315, ICT80615, ICT80515, ICT80415, ICT60615 and ICT60120, whose currency ended on 17 January 2021.
The signals behind this qualification are mixed, and both sides are worth weighing. Specifically: employment in its occupations is projected to grow through 2035, national enrolments are rising and the official shortage list does not rate its occupations in shortage. 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 Telecommunications Network Engineer, about 66 jobs were advertised online in May 2026 (up 20.1% on a year earlier). Roughly 670 openings were advertised over the last 12 months, while 7,875 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.
More people are choosing this qualification each year. National enrolments rose from 5,545 in 2023, to 7,875 in 2024 (up 42%).
Employment in these occupations is projected to keep growing strongly. Government projections put them at 15,400 workers in May 2025, 17,200 by May 2030 (up 11.4%) and 18,800 by May 2035 (up 21.9%).
Outcomes for this specific qualification, each anchored against what is typical at the same qualification level nationally.
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, national enrolments are rising and the official shortage list does not rate its occupations in shortage. 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, Telecommunications Engineer and Telecommunications Network Engineer 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.