How do I compare providers?

By their elective list. With eight of eleven units elective, two people holding CUA31020 may have learned almost entirely different things. Ask for the unit list, not the brochure.

Will this get me into the industry?

It is the standard entry qualification for assistant roles. The register names editing assistant and assistant camera operator specifically. Screen work is heavily portfolio and contact driven, so what you produce during the course matters as much as the certificate.

Are there entry requirements?

The register records none for CUA31020.

What does it cost and how long does it take?

Both are set by each provider and are not published on the national register. Equipment access varies considerably between providers - worth asking about.

CUA31020 Certificate III in Screen and Media

About this qualification

CUA31020 is the way into the screen and media industries. The register describes “skilled assistant or skilled assistant operator roles” across “interactive digital media, film and television, radio, lighting and sound, content creation and technical broadcasting environments”, naming editing assistant and assistant camera operator among the outcomes.

Eleven units, and only three are core: critical thinking in a team, working effectively in the creative arts industry, and work health and safety. Everything that makes it a screen qualification sits in the eight electives.

That is a deliberate design. Editing, camera, lighting, sound and digital content are different crafts, and the qualification refuses to pretend one core set covers them. It also means the provider's elective packaging is your qualification — the same code can produce an editor or a lighting assistant.

Ask any provider for their eight electives before enrolling. On this qualification more than most, that list is the course.

Roles it maps to

Roles named on the national register for CUA31020.

Editing Assistant Assistant Camera Operator Production Assistant Content Creator Broadcast Assistant

Where it sits

The screen and media line, from entry through to advanced practice.

Certificate III · you are hereCUA31020 Screen and Media
Certificate IVCUA41225 Screen and Media
DiplomaCUA51020 Screen and Media
Advanced DiplomaCUA60620 Screen and Media

What it covers

3Core units

8Elective units

Eleven units in total. At least three electives from Group A; of the remainder, at least three from Group A or B, and up to two from the listed electives or any currently endorsed Certificate II or above.

Only three core units — the eight electives are where the craft is:

BSBCRT311 Apply critical thinking skills in a team environment
CUAIND311 Work effectively in the creative arts industry
CUAWHS312 Apply work health and safety practices

For a full list of elective units, visit training.gov.au →

Frequently asked questions

Only three core units?: Yes. Screen and media covers editing, camera, lighting, sound, digital content and broadcast — crafts with little technical overlap. The three core units are what they genuinely share; the eight electives are the actual training.
How do I compare providers?: By their elective list. With eight of eleven units elective, two people holding CUA31020 may have learned almost entirely different things. Ask for the unit list, not the brochure.
Will this get me into the industry?: It is the standard entry qualification for assistant roles. The register names editing assistant and assistant camera operator specifically. Screen work is heavily portfolio and contact driven, so what you produce during the course matters as much as the certificate.
Are there entry requirements?: The register records none for CUA31020.
What does it cost and how long does it take?: Both are set by each provider and are not published on the national register. Equipment access varies considerably between providers — worth asking about.

Other registered providers

Filtered by where each provider is based, not where they can deliver.

NSW

TAFE NSWRTO 90003

Deliver and assess · National
QLD

TAFE QueenslandRTO 0275

Deliver and assess · National
WA

North Metropolitan TAFERTO 52786

Deliver and assess · WA
QLD

Halo Nation TrainingRTO 32485

Deliver and assess · National
WA

WA Dept of Training and Workforce DevelopmentRTO 52395

Deliver and assess · WA
WA

Skills Strategies InternationalRTO 2401

Deliver and assess · National
VIC

WISE Employment LtdRTO 6653

Deliver and assess · National
QLD

Training Professionals Pty LtdRTO 31955

Deliver and assess · QLD
VIC

CAQARTO 45459

Deliver and assess · National
QLD

EC TRAINING PTY LTDRTO 31384

Deliver and assess · QLD
QLD

Talented Training Pty LtdRTO 45144

Deliver and assess · National
VIC

Northern College of the Arts and TechnologyRTO 6736

Deliver and assess · VIC
Find more providers

12 of 62 providers shown — search the register for the rest
training.gov.au →

More in Creative Arts and Culture

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Certificate III in Screen and Media

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