This project reviewed and updated the Certificate IV in Aviation (Air Crew Officer) and Certificate III in Aviation (Rescue Crew Officer) to enable broader applicability across different sectors such as emergency services and defence.
The review enabled more air crew and rescue crew officers to access nationally accredited training, whether they use rotary or fixed wing aircrafts, to conduct search and rescue operations in different contexts. The updates enhanced the usability of the qualifications and are expected to lead to increasing enrolments and greater workforce mobility.
Deliverables
This project updated:
- 2 qualifications
- 5 associated Skill Sets
- 12 associated Units of Competency
This project also:
- updated the Aviation Companion Volume Implementation Guide;
- produced a mapping document stating changes made;
- updated out-of-scope products affected by the changes made to the project training products.
Training Products
Timeline
The reviewed training products were due to be submitted to the Assurance Body by February 2025.
Consultation Strategy
Industry Skills Australia (ISA) engaged with stakeholders throughout the life of the project and consider all ideas, opinions, and feedback to the revised training products to ensure they meet the needs of industry. A consultation log containing a high-level summary of all feedback and ISA’s response was maintained and available on our website.
ISA facilitated a webinar following endorsement of the materials to support stakeholders in understanding the changes and how they will affect them.
Technical Committee Established
17 April 2024
The Aviation Rescue project Technical Committee (TC) was established in April 2024.
The first meeting of the Technical Committee is scheduled for 30 April 2024.
Committee Membership
| TC Members | Organisation | Areas of Expertise |
| Brian Guthrie | LifeFlight Commercial Limited | Subject Matter Expert Registered Training Organisation (RTOs) |
| Dissio Markos | Transport Workers' Union of Australia | Union |
| Karl Thomas | Department of Defence (Army Aviation - Rotary) | Commonwealth, state and territory governments Subject Matter Expert |
| Ken Alonso | Civil Aviation Safety Authority | Regulator |
| Mark Doust | Queensland Police Service | Commonwealth, state and territory governments Subject Matter Expert |
| Mark Urquhart | Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action | Commonwealth, state and territory governments Subject Matter Expert |
| Martin Bell | Department of Defence | Commonwealth, state and territory governments Subject Matter Expert |
| Nathan Minett | Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service | Employer Registered Training Organisation (RTOs) Subject Matter Expert |
| Nicole Powell | Leidos - Airborne Solutions Australia | Registered Training Organisation (RTOs) Subject Matter Expert |
| Paul Kernick | NSW Ambulance | Commonwealth, state and territory governments Subject Matter Expert |
| Rachel Emery | Department of Employment, Small Business and Training | Education Specialist Commonwealth, state and territory governments |
| Rolf Petersen | Toll helicopters | Subject Matter Expert |
| Scott Kepper | NSWPF Aviation Command | Commonwealth, state and territory governments Subject Matter Expert |
| Shannon Crofton | Fire and Rescue NSW | Commonwealth, state and territory governments Subject Matter Expert |
| Simon Topp | Rural Fire Service NSW | Commonwealth, state and territory governments Subject Matter Expert |
| Steven Sartain | Department of Fire and Emergency | Commonwealth, state and territory governments Subject Matter Expert |
| Trevor Arnold | Helistar Aviation | Registered Training Organisation (RTOs) |
Public Consultation - Second Round
17 October 2024
Public Consultation closed on Thursday, 17 October 2024.
2 October 2024
We are seeking your feedback on revised draft training products relating to Aviation rescue operations aimed at enabling broader applicability across different sectors such as emergency services and defence. A Technical Committee of subject matter experts updated the draft products following feedback from industry stakeholders.
The following training products have been updated:
- AVI30524 Certificate III in Airborne Operations
- AVI40224 Certificate IV in Airborne Operations
* Please note that the Technical Committee chose to rename the qualifications to reflect their applicability to a range of operational roles.
- Five associated Skill Sets
- 12 associated Units of Competency
Public Consultation - First Round
13 September 2024
The draft materials were removed on Friday, 13 September 2024.
15 August 2024
Draft materials for the Aviation Rescue Project to enable broader applicability across different sectors such as emergency services and defence and aircraft type have been developed by a Technical Committee of subject matter experts and Industry Skills Australia would like your feedback.
The review will enable more air crew and rescue crew officers to access nationally accredited training, whether they use rotary or fixed wing aircrafts, to conduct search and rescue operations in different contexts. The updates will enhance the usability of the qualifications and are expected to lead to increasing enrolments and greater workforce mobility.
The project has reviewed 2 qualifications, 5 Skill Sets and 12 Units of Competency.
Submission
5 May 2025
The Training Package Assurance Body recommended the draft training products for this project be endorsed by Skills Ministers.
18 March 2025
Industry Skills Australia (ISA) submitted the final draft training products for the Aviation Rescue Project to the Assurance Body.
The revised products included updates to 2 qualifications, 12 Units of Competency and 5 Skill Sets.
Closure Webinar
29 July 2025
ISA held a webinar on 29 July 2025, to outline the improvements to the applicability of Certificate IV and III across aviation sectors including emergency services and defence.
The updates will support increased enrolment numbers in the qualification and boost workforce mobility by enabling more air and rescue crew personnel to access nationally accredited training across both rotary and fixed wing aircraft.
Endorsement
10 June 2025
Airborne Operations qualifications have been developed to enable workforce development and career pathways for air crew personnel working in a broad range of industries including aviation, emergency services, border protection and defence. Skills Ministers have endorsed Airborne Operations qualifications which enable workforce development and career pathways for air crew personnel working in a broad range of industries including aviation, emergency services, border protection and defence.
The Certificate III and Certificate IV in Airborne Operations replace the Certificate III in Aviation (Rescue Crew Officer) and the Certificate IV in Aviation (Air Crew Officer). The qualifications have been changed to be more inclusive of different job roles and aircraft types.
The training products were developed by a Technical Committee of subject matter experts, in consultation with industry stakeholders and representation from Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
The following training products have been updated:
- AVI30524 Certificate III in Airborne Operations
- AVI40224 Certificate IV in Airborne Operations
* Please note that the Technical Committee chose to rename the qualifications to reflect their applicability to a range of operational roles.
- Five associated Skill Sets
- 12 associated Units of Competency
What does this mean for industry?
The new qualifications will enable more airborne crew, within both rotary and fixed wing operational environments to access nationally accredited training. This will enhance workforce mobility across different industry sectors.
What does this mean for Registered Training Organisations?
The revised training products are included in Aviation Training Package Release 11.0. Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) will need to update their training resources to reflect the revised training products and new codes.
To support the delivery and implementation of the revised training products, the Companion Volume Implementation Guide (CVIG) has been updated to assist assessors, trainers, RTOs and enterprises. The CVIG contains comprehensive list of all products in the Training Package; including mapping information which details the changes that have been made to the training products; implementation advice, and useful links to other information.
The endorsed Training Package products are now available on training.gov.au