Mandatory training for Aged Care workers in 2026

Training is one half of what makes an Aged Care worker safe to deliver care. Screening confirms who a person is and whether they can work with vulnerable people. Training confirms they have the skills and knowledge to do the job well. In 2026, under the new Aged Care Act and the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards that took effect on 1 November 2025, workforce competence is a clearer expectation than ever.

This guide sets out the training most Aged Care workers need, why it matters, and how providers are expected to keep evidence of it. It is general guidance, not legal advice. Exact requirements depend on your role, your employer's policies, and your state.

The baseline qualification: Certificate III in Individual Support

For most direct personal care roles in Aged Care, the recognised entry qualification is the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing). It covers the core skills of supporting older people with daily living, dignity, safety and wellbeing.

Typical features of the qualification include:

• A set of core units plus electives, usually around fifteen units in total.
• A supervised work placement, commonly in the order of 120 hours in an Aged Care setting.
• Mandatory pre-placement clearances and immunisation evidence required by the training provider before you start on the floor.

Some people begin in entry roles while studying, but providers will generally expect you to be enrolled in or have completed the Certificate III. Higher qualifications such as a Certificate IV or nursing qualifications apply to more senior or clinical roles, which carry their own registration requirements. For a fuller picture of getting started, see how to become an Aged Care worker.

First aid and CPR

First aid and CPR are core safety competencies for hands-on care workers. They equip you to respond when an older person has a fall, a choking episode, a cardiac event or another emergency.

A few practical points:

• CPR currency is commonly refreshed about every 12 months, and first aid roughly every three years, but follow your employer's policy and your training provider's rules.
• Some roles require additional first aid units, for example for specific clinical or community settings.
• Because CPR expires faster than most other training, it is the credential most likely to lapse quietly. Track the expiry, not just the completion date.

For more detail on currency and what counts, see first aid and CPR requirements for care workers.

Manual handling

Manual handling training reduces the risk of injury to both workers and the people they support. Aged Care involves frequent assisting with mobility, transfers, repositioning and use of equipment such as hoists and slide sheets.

Good manual handling training covers:

• Safe transfer and repositioning techniques.
• Correct use of mobility and lifting equipment.
• Recognising when a task needs two people or a different approach.
• Reporting hazards and near misses.

Manual handling is often refreshed annually as part of mandatory in-service training, since technique and equipment change over time.

Infection prevention and control

Infection prevention and control (IPC) became a sharper focus across Aged Care in recent years, and it remains a standing competency. Older people are more vulnerable to infection, and outbreaks can be serious.

IPC training typically covers hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, cleaning and waste handling, and outbreak response basics. Many providers run IPC as recurring annual training, and some clinical settings have a designated IPC lead with extra requirements.

How training maps to the Strengthened Standards

The Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards took effect on 1 November 2025 under the new Aged Care Act. Workforce competence sits under Standard 2, which makes the governing body accountable for the quality systems, oversight and capability of the workforce.

In practical terms, that means a provider is expected to:

• Make sure workers have the skills and knowledge for their role.
• Maintain current, retrievable evidence that training has been completed and kept up to date.
• Be able to show this evidence when a review or audit happens.

For the wider set of obligations a provider needs to evidence, see the Aged Care Act provider screening checklist.

Record-keeping: the part that usually breaks

The training itself is rarely the problem. The hard part is proving, on the day a review runs, that every worker's training is current and that nothing has quietly expired. Certificates live in inboxes, spreadsheets and filing cabinets. CPR lapses without anyone noticing. A worker moves between sites and their records do not follow.

This is where good record-keeping earns its place:

• Hold a copy of every training certificate, with completion and expiry dates.
• Track expiry, so a lapse is flagged before it happens, not after.
• Keep records retrievable, so evidence can be produced quickly when asked.

Where Koora fits

On a Koora Career Passport, training certificates such as the Certificate III, first aid, CPR, manual handling and infection control are reviewed credentials. Koora reviews the documents the worker provides and surfaces expiry dates, so a provider can see current training status at a glance. Because the Passport is portable, a worker who moves between providers carries their reviewed training with them rather than rebuilding the paperwork each time. See working across multiple care providers for how that works.

Koora pre-clears credentials and shows current status when the report runs. It does not reconstruct a history of past compliance, and it does not remove the provider's legal obligation to sight evidence and decide who is competent to work. The provider keeps that responsibility. What Koora removes is the manual hunt for paperwork and the silent expiry, while leaving the rigour in your hands.