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Important Information

You DO NOT need an AQF or VET qualification to be able to work as a diver or diving supervisor.  The qualification is a record of your educational achievement only, it IS NOT a licence to dive.

Your ADAS card is all you need to show an employer to prove you hold an ADAS certification.

An AQF or VET qualification will be issued to people who gain a full qualification in Australia only, they are not issued to people who complete ADAS training in other countries.

All ADAS schools teach to the ADAS standard, this means that graduates of non-VET accredited schools may apply to ADAS for a VET qualification through a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process. Contact ADAS for more information about this process.

To replace a lost AQF certificate (Testamur, Statement of Attainment or Record of Results) click here.

What is an AQF or VET Qualification?

An AQF Qualification is a qualification that is nationally recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

The AQF regulates all Australian qualifications and provides clear rules about the level of education each qualification title represents. Visit the Australian Qualifications Framework page of the Study in Australia website for more information.

ADAS VET accredited courses are AQF qualifications in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. They are sometimes referred to as VET qualifications. Vocational Education and Training (VET) is ‘education and training for work’. It exists to develop and recognise the competencies or skills of learners. For more information on vocational education and training, visit the information page on vocational education and training at the Study in Australia website.

Within the VET system in Australia, ADAS is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), with RTO code 88104, and has accredited most of its courses under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). All activities associated with the award of nationally recognised qualifications by ADAS are regulated by the National VET Regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority.

AQF Certification Documentation

People who successfully complete ADAS accredited courses within Australia are eligible for nationally recognised qualifications or statements of attainment. The AQF certification documentation is the set of official documents that confirms that an AQF qualification or statement of attainment has been issued to an individual (Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015)

Most successful ADAS students completing their course within Australia are awarded the relevant Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) certification documentation along with ADAS certification. This documentation is issued in recognition of attaining all or part of a qualification under the national Australian Qualifications Framework. It does NOT replace the official ADAS photo ID diving licence issued at the same time and is NOT to be taken as proof of current diving or other competence, since it does not include an expiry date.

  • The documentation for a full qualification consists of a Testamur (VET certificate) and a Record of Results.
  • For a part qualification or completion of a single unit or small group of units, the documentation is a Statement of Attainment.

ADAS VET Accredited Courses

The following list of VET accredited courses are those that are currently able to be awarded by ADAS as the Registered Training Organisation (RTO Code 88104) for training delivered by Accredited Training Establishments. Please note that this list is not an indication of the availability of the course, and candidates should contact ADAS Accredited Training Establishments to find out about course availability. Their contact details are available on the Training Schools page of this website.

ADAS has other qualifications on scope that are not part of the regular scheduled courses, but are available to meet an industry or enterprise need – subject to approval by the ADAS Executive Director. For a full list of the scope of registration and registered delivery locations of ADAS, visit the ADAS Scope of Registration on the National Training Register.

It is important to note that for some ADAS cards, the course delivered is related to specific units or groups of units, and is not a full qualification. In these cases, a Statement of Attainment for units completed may be awarded. It is also important to note that in some cases such as at some international locations, the Australian AQF qualification may not be awarded unless specifically registered with the Australian Skills Quality Authority as an international delivery site. However, all students training at ADAS Accredited Training Establishments receive the relevant ADAS card or certification on successful completion.

All ADAS courses are monitored and evaluated on an ongoing basis, and are subject to a five-yearly review and update cycle. The expiry date is shown on the training.gov.au (TGA) website. Formal stakeholder consultation for updates and changes generally commences 18 months prior to expiry and ADAS welcomes input from people in the industry to ensure the qualifications stay relevant to industry needs.

Any student enrolling after expiry will be enrolled in the new accredited course relevant to them which may have a new name and national code. Existing enrolled students are able to complete their course and ADAS can award these qualifications for up to one year after expiry for students already enrolled.

Name of ADAS AQF Qualifications

ADAS AQF qualifications include in their title the specialisation field of Hyperbaric Operations which covers the broad range of work and industry sectors ADAS courses cater for. Hyperbaric operations include underwater and compressed air operations.

ADAS offers Certificate IV and Diploma qualifications as listed below.

Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (General SCUBA diving) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Defence diving) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Seafood industry diving) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Occupational SCUBA diving to 30m) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Diving work) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Surface-supplied diving to 30m) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Construction diving work) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Surface-supplied diving to 50m) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Diver medical technician) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Closed bell diving) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Chamber system) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Saturation system) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Hyperbaric tunnelling) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Rescue and recovery) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Remotely operated vehicle) 11006NAT
  • Certificate IV in Hyperbaric Operations (Atmospheric diving system) 11006NAT
Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations 11038NAT

The Diploma qualifications prepare candidates for the supervision and management of diving and diving-related operations. Qualification in the relevant Certificate IV is a necessary step in the pathway to one of the Diplomas of Hyperbaric Operations (ie, you must have a relevant Certificate IV level qualification  in order to be eligible to undertake the Diploma).

  • Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations (Diving supervision) 11038NAT
  • Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations (Construction diving supervision) 11038NAT
  • Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations (Offshore diving supervision) 11038NAT
  • Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations (Client worksite representation) 11038NAT
  • Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations (Dive project management) 11038NAT
  • Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations (Projects and estimating) 11038NAT
  • Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations (Management and contracts) 11038NAT
  • Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations (Leadership) 11038NAT
  • Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations (Submarine rescue system) 11038NAT
  • Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations (Hyperbaric chamber supervision) 11038NAT
  • Diploma of Hyperbaric Operations (Learning and development) 11038NAT

Pricing Structure for Obtaining Certificates

There is no additional fee for the AQF certification documentation for ADAS nationally accredited courses, except when requesting a replacement certificate.

Please note that not all ADAS courses have related AQF certificates, so please contact ADAS if you need clarification on a particular course delivered by an Accredited Training Establishment, particularly any courses delivered outside of Australia, or any courses not listed above.

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