This project will review and update the Certificate III in Aviation (Remote Pilot) to include current industry practices and more closely align the qualification with the Remote Pilot Licence (RePL).
Drone utilisation in Australia is rapidly increasing across a wide range of industries. With this growth comes a growing demand for skilled and licensed drone operators.
The RePL is a licence issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) that allows the holder to operate a drone commercially anywhere in Australia. Currently, despite completing the Certificate III, students do not receive the licence, necessitating additional time and financial investment to complete further training.
This project will review and update the Certificate III in Aviation (Remote Pilot) to include current industry practices and more closely align the qualification with the Remote Pilot Licence (RePL).
The alignment between the qualification and CASA regulations is crucial for developing a skilled and compliant workforce. A standardised approach that meets both educational and regulatory standards ensures that drone operators are better prepared to operate drones.
This alignment will not only benefit the workforce by providing a clear and direct pathway to certification but also enhance the overall quality and efficiency of drone operations across industries.
This project will review and update:
This project will also:
Industry Skills Australia (ISA) will engage 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 will be maintained and available on our website.
Industry Skills Australia has established a Technical Committee (TC) for this project. Comprising 13 subject matter experts from industry, RTOs, regulators and industry bodies.
The first meeting of the Technical Committee was held on Thursday, 13 February 2025.
Expressions of interest closed on Friday, 13 September 2024.
Public Consultation closed on Friday, 27 February 2026.
We are seeking feedback on revised updates to the Certificate III in Aviation (Remote Pilot), aimed at addressing the growing need for qualified, licensed drone operators.
A Technical Committee of subject matter experts, following feedback from industry stakeholders, has updated the qualification to reflect current industry practices and better align it with Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) licensing requirements. These updates aim to ensure the qualification meets the evolving needs of the drone industry and supports high-quality training outcomes.
Industry Skills Australia invites you to review and provide feedback on the following draft training products to help shape the future of drone training in Australia:
To better align with CASA Remote Pilot licensing requirements the deleted units have been consolidated into four new streamlined units.
Industry Skills Australia (ISA) submitted the final draft training products for the Remote Pilot Licencing Alignment project to the Assurance Body.
The revised products included updates to 1 Qualification, 18 Units of Competency, and 1 Skill Set.