Yes — Clinton Institute arranges 100% of all aged care work placement for students. The institute's dedicated placement coordination team works with a network of approved aged care providers across Melbourne to match students with suitable venues for their CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support (CRICOS: 115261A) placement hours. Students are not required to find their own placement.

For international students on a visa, this is a significant practical support. Placement arrangement involves matching each student's location, learning goals, and unit requirements with the right provider — a process that would be challenging for a student unfamiliar with Melbourne's aged care sector to navigate alone.

The Placement Arrangement Process — Step by Step

Clinton Institute follows a structured placement coordination process for every enrolled student:

1. Pre-placement consultation (4-6 weeks before placement block): The placement team reviews each student's enrolled units, location preferences, and any expressed care setting interests (e.g., residential aged care, home care, dementia-specific care)
2. Provider matching: The team selects from Clinton Institute's approved network of registered aged care providers. All providers meet Victorian Department of Health and Human Services standards and the Aged Care Act 1997
3. Placement confirmation: Students receive written confirmation of their placement venue, start date, scheduled hours, and provider supervisor contact details before the placement block begins
4. Ongoing supervision: A Clinton Institute workplace supervisor maintains contact with both the student and provider supervisor throughout the placement

Clinton Institute's Approved Placement Partners in Melbourne

Clinton Institute works with a curated network of approved aged care providers across greater Melbourne. All partner facilities are registered under the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, approved by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, and subject to regular audits by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Key partners include Arcare — one of Australia's largest and fastest-growing aged care providers with multiple Melbourne metropolitan facilities — Opal Healthcare, which has a strong presence across Melbourne's south-eastern and outer-suburban corridors — and Benetas, a not-for-profit provider with a long-standing reputation in Victorian aged care and community services since 1940. Each of these providers participates in Clinton Institute's supervised placement program for CHC33021 Certificate III in Individual Support (CRICOS: 115261A), CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support (CRICOS: 115262M), and CHC52025 Diploma of Community Services (CRICOS: 115263K). The RTO ID for Clinton Institute is 41597 and the CRICOS provider code is 03540C.

• Arcare: One of Australia's largest and fastest-growing aged care providers, with multiple Melbourne metropolitan facilities
• Opal Healthcare: A large operator with a strong presence across Melbourne's south-eastern and outer-suburban corridors
• Benetas: A not-for-profit provider with a long-standing reputation in Victorian aged care and community services

All placement providers are fully compliant with the Aged Care Act 1997, approved by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, and hold current accreditation with the Australian Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

"Our placement team does the work of finding suitable providers so students can focus entirely on their learning. Every placement is checked for compliance, supervision quality, and learning outcome coverage before a student is sent there."
— Laiju Thomas, Aged Care and Community Services Trainer, Clinton Institute (RTO ID: 41597, CRICOS: 03540C)

How Long Does Placement Take to Arrange?

Clinton Institute's placement team typically begins coordinating placement 4-6 weeks before a student's scheduled placement block. Factors that influence the timeline include:

• Provider availability at the requested time
• Any specific unit requirements that require a particular care setting
• Student location and transport accessibility
• Whether the student has any expressed preferences for placement type or area

What Is and Is Not Self-Arranged

Clinton Institute does not accept self-arranged placements. This is a CRICOS compliance requirement and a quality assurance measure — all placements must go through the institute's approved network. This means:

• Students cannot use a relative's aged care facility as a placement venue unless it is formally part of Clinton Institute's approved provider network
• Students cannot count their existing aged care job hours as placement unless they undergo a formal Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment
• Students cannot switch placement venues once confirmed without written approval from the placement team

Placement Hours Required

Frequently Asked Questions