Career Start is the Queensland Government subsidy program for Certificate III-level qualifications, effective 1 July 2026. It replaced the earlier Certificate 3 Guarantee program name — if you’ve seen “Cert 3 Guarantee” elsewhere, it’s the same funding, current name.
What you can access
Under Career Start, eligible students can access:
- One Certificate III qualification through the general training pathway, plus one apprenticeship or traineeship at Certificate II or III level, or
- Two apprenticeships or traineeships at Certificate II or III level (including School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships)
Plus, separately, one subsidised introductory skill set — see our skill sets.
Eligibility criteria
To access the Career Start general pathway you need to:
- Be aged 15 years or older
- Not be a school student
- Permanently reside in Queensland
- Be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident (including humanitarian entrant), New Zealand citizen, or a temporary resident with a valid visa and working rights on the pathway to permanent residency
- Not already hold a Certificate III or higher qualification completed within the last 10 years — school and foundation skills qualifications don’t count against you
- Not currently be enrolled in another Queensland Government-funded qualification, even if on hold or deferred — foundation skills and self-funded / fee-for-service study doesn’t affect this
Concession rate
You pay the lower concessional rate if you hold a Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card or DVA card (yours, or as a named partner/dependant), identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, have a disability, are from a non-English speaking background, or are an adult prisoner.
What it costs at Sage
Under the general pathway: $15 per unit concessional, $20 per unit non-concessional. Not eligible? The fee-for-service rate is $200 per unit for most Certificate III courses (some specialist courses differ — see the course page).
Already have a Cert III?
Career Boost may be your next step — it funds Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma qualifications, plus skill sets.
Prefer to earn while you learn?
See Traineeships & Apprenticeships — a combined 10-year cap of two government-funded apprenticeships or traineeships applies across Career Start, Career Boost and School-based arrangements.
