RII31220 is the nationally recognised Certificate III in Civil Foundations. It prepares you for work as an earthmoving plant operator (general). It has been the current version on the national register since 2021, when it replaced RII31215. Employers posted about 1,255 earthmoving plant operator (general) jobs in June 2026, up 9.5% on a year earlier.
The independent signals behind the Certificate III in Civil Foundations line up. Earthmoving plant operator (general)s are in national shortage, enrolments are rising and job ads in June 2026 were up 9.5% on a year earlier. These are official statistics, not a promise about your result.
Employers are posting more earthmoving plant operator (general) jobs than a year ago. About 1,255 earthmoving plant operator (general) jobs were advertised online in June 2026, up 9.5% on a year earlier. Over the last 12 months there were about 14,700 job ads, while 35 people were training in the qualification nationally (2025). Ads show the market. Enrolments show the pipeline. Neither is a job promise.
Australia's official shortage list rates bulldozer operators, excavator operators, grader operators and loader operators as in shortage. The 2025 Occupation Shortage List rates Bulldozer Operator, Excavator Operator, Grader Operator and Loader Operator as in national shortage; Earthmoving Plant Operator (General) as in shortage in regional areas; Backhoe Operator as not in shortage.
Earthmoving plant operator (general) jobs are projected to stay about flat. Jobs and Skills Australia projections put these occupations at 48,644 workers in May 2025, 49,231 by May 2030 (up 1.2%) and 50,734 by May 2035 (up 4.3%).
Enrolments in the Certificate III in Civil Foundations are growing. Across Australia, 30 people enrolled in 2024. In 2025 it was 35, up 16.7% in a year. National data for RII31220 starts in 2022.
The register and the national framework set some of this. Providers set the rest.
State funding for RII31220 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.
The Certificate III in Civil Foundations is 26 units: 15 core, plus 11 electives chosen from 30 options on the register.
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 coursesGet Course maps RII31220 to its occupations using the register’s own outcome wording, shown with ANZSCO codes (here, 7212) 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: Occupation Shortage List 2025 assessment; employment projections May 2025 to May 2035 release; Jobs and Skills Australia Internet Vacancy Index latest month June 2026; NCVER Total VET Activity 2025 collection; register training.gov.au, synced 3 September 2026; register synced 18 Sept 2026. Page last updated 19 Sept 2026.