Certificate III in Pathology Collection

There are no formal entry requirements for this course.

Selection criteria

To enrol into this course you must have:

• completed of Year 10 or equivalent
• skills in gathering and communicating information equivalent to Senior English
• be 18 years of age due to industry preferences for attending vocational placement assessment

In addition, you must be:

• physically fit sufficient to be able to stand for long periods of time, bend and twist, and to assist with clients' movements
• have sufficient fine motor skills and dexterity to operate precise equipment
• be able to self-regulate and sustain your emotional and mental health in order to work safely in a structured supervised environment and with a diverse range of clients

Traineeship pathway
To study a traineeship program you must be indentured as a trainee with your employer.

Employers need to be able to provide necessary human and physical resources to qualify for a trainee.

Find out more on how to become an apprentice or trainee

It is recommended that you have access to a reliable internet connection to access TAFE Queensland's online learning system Connect, and a computer with up-to-date software, including Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Reader. This equipment and software is available for use at all TAFE Queensland locations.

You will be provided with a recommended reading list and/or required textbooks during orientation or at the start of each unit. The purchase of these resources may incur additional costs, or you may be able to borrow them from the TAFE Queensland library network.

You may also be required to purchase a USB, uniform items, including TAFE Queensland branded items, enclosed leather shoes, long corporate slacks and a long sleeved cotton shirt or plain black polo. These details will be provided after enrolment or during orientation. The purchase of the TAFE Queensland branded uniform items may incur additional costs of approximately $48.

You may also be required to cover any travel/accommodation costs associated with vocational placement or work experience.

If you are not currently employed or volunteering in industry, during your course you will be required to complete vocational placement so you can start practising your new skills in a real-world environment. You’ll be required to work shifts determined by your placement provider, and these can include early mornings or late nights, any day of the week, including public holidays. TAFE Queensland may be able to assist in arranging suitable placements.

Completing placement is compulsory, and you will be expected to manage family and work commitments in order to complete your shifts. You are required to complete 35 hours of placement to satisfy this component of your qualification.

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
This course requires you to obtain a NDIS Worker Screening Check to be eligible to attend the vocational placement assessment component of your studies.

Prior to Placement, you will need to receive and provide evidence of the following checks:

• You must complete your online NDIS Worker Screening Clearance application at this link - NDIS Worker Screening Unit (WSU), and nominate TAFE Queensland as your employer. There is no cost to students. TAFE Queensland will verify each student.
• Students must also complete the NDIS Worker Orientation Online Modules (4 modules/approximately 90 minutes in total). Upon completion, students will need to provide their Certificate of Completion to both TAFE Queensland and their placement provider.
• If you work with children on Placement, you will also need a Blue Card Working with Children Check. This is called Blue Card in Queensland or you will need the equivalent if you are completing your Placement outside of Queensland.
• Please note: you can apply for both the NDIS Worker Screening Clearance and Blue Card by completing a combined application via the NDIS Worker Screening portal NDIS Worker Screening Unit (WSU).

If your check identifies that you have a criminal history, you may be disqualified from being eligible to undertake placement and assessment, which would affect your course outcomes. If you think this might impact you, please speak to the relevant Placement Coordinator for further information.

Please note: TAFE Queensland wishes to warn you, as a Blue Card applicant, that it is an offence for a disqualified person to sign a Blue Card application.  For further information regarding 'disqualified' persons, please contact Blue Card Services.

Vaccination requirements 
Mandatory vaccinations may be required by the owner or operator of the facility providing your placement.These requirements will be provided to the student, prior to arrangements being made for the completion of vocational placement.

You will not be able to commence Vocational Placement unless you have provided the following evidence:

• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR): Minimum two doses. You must provide evidence of immunity (provide a serology/blood test result indicating immunity) or evidence of a minimum of two documented doses (vaccinations) of MMR at least one month apart.
• Hepatitis B: Minimum two doses. You must provide evidence of Hep B vaccination for a minimum of two doses and a serology to confirm current immune status. A third vaccination is required; please see below for details regarding the Australian Guidelines:
  • Commence a Hepatitis B course which is 3 injections (0, 1 and 6 months) with positive serology supplied 4-6 weeks following 3rd vaccination or supply evidence of an Age-appropriate Hep B course.
• Varicella (Chicken Pox): Minimum one dose. You must provide documented history of vaccination or evidence of immunity (serology/blood test report).
• Pertussis: One dose. You must provide documented history of one adult dose of dTpa within the past ten years (pathology reports are not acceptable evidence for pertussis).
• Influenza Vaccination: Annual vaccination.
• COVID-19 vaccination (strongly recommended)

You may be required to provide evidence of immunity and / or vaccinations depending on the requirements of the placement provider.

You may be required to complete live bleeds and perform venipuncture on fellow students or volunteers during the course.

Further information will be provided to you at orientation.

Those students who have a medical contraindication may be unable to complete the vocational placement component of their course. This means you may not be able to meet all of the requirements of your course and may not be able to graduate or receive your qualification.