Security is a varied field. The people who work in it are only becoming more diverse, and accordingly, so is security training. Security training courses go way beyond the Certificate II in Security Operations (although that qualification is an appropriate first step to many of the more advanced courses listed below). Read further for an overview of some of the courses currently available in security and the places they can take you.
The Security Courses Discussed Here Can Be Roughly Divided Into Four Types:
Courses For Becoming A Licensed Security Officer (And Then Further Developing Your Career)
The first type of course we’ll look at is meant to help you become a licensed security guard or bodyguard. These courses follow the typical Certificate 2, 3, and 4 patterns in this context, beginning with Certificate II in Security Operations. Below, we’ll look at this entry-level course and two others you might consider as your career in security progresses: Certificate III in Security Operations and Certificate IV in Security Management.
Courses For Becoming A Security Technician
The second type of security course focuses on the industry’s technical side. With these courses, you can become a security technician and learn how to install and repair equipment to keep homes and businesses secure. This field is closely related to the work of licensed security guards, but you can enter it without undertaking Certificate II in Security Operations and becoming one. We’ll evaluate three courses for becoming a security technician below: Certificate II in Technical Security, Certificate III in Technical Security, and Certificate III in Security Equipment.
Courses For Becoming A Cyber Security Professional
The third type of course we’ll look at is further still from guarding a nightclub or a person. This area is also technical and is also security but is aimed more at protecting information than protecting people or physical goods. You can find information below on two certificate courses to help you get into cyber security. The first is Certificate III in Information Technology, an entry-level course that will presume no prior knowledge and let you choose some elective units in cyber security. The second is Certificate IV in Cyber Security, where you can build on your information technology skills and prepare for work as a cyber security technician. There is also a brief discussion of the benefits of AWS certifications for your cyber security career.
Miscellaneous Courses That You May Need To Work In Security
Finally, we’ll also briefly discuss two other courses you may need to take depending on what area you work in: Provide First Aid and Responsible Service of Alcohol.
Security Qualifications In Australia
Security courses, like any other type of Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses in Australia, follow a set, numbered structure. The lowest qualification in any learning area will be a certificate I or II. Then the pattern will usually advance through certificate III, certificate III, and then a diploma. But not every course goes all the way to a diploma, and you can often get qualifications at the same level as your last one but in more specialised areas. Popular courses range from the more obvious Security Operations Certificates for traditional security guard work to qualifications in technical security and cyber security.
What Prerequisites Do You Need To Do A Security Course
Education
Most security courses don’t need you to have any educational prerequisites as such. Still, within Australia, you’ll need to have a basic level of English to get through your training, and it’s important to be able to communicate with people when you’re working in security. Some courses require you to take a Language Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) assessment as a condition of enrollment.
Age
Courses in security will generally only allow students over the age of 18 since you must be an adult to work as a security officer.
Physical Requirements
Contrary to popular belief, there is no minimum height or weight requirement for being a security guard. However, you must have a basic level of physical fitness and health since many jobs in security involve many hours of standing and walking.
Character
You don’t usually need a background check to get into a training program in security, but it’s important to bear in mind that when you apply for a security licence in your area (which is a necessity for work in the field), you must not have been convicted of certain offenses in the last ten years.
Fitness
Security work entails a lot of standing and walking around, not to mention the possibility of physical confrontation, so you’ll need a minimal level of physical fitness (this is a less urgent need for technical security and cyber security).
Background Check
You’ll also need to be able to pass a background check that demonstrates you haven’t committed any serious offences in the last ten years. This isn’t always necessary for enrolling in a course, but it definitely will be for getting a security licence anywhere in Australia, and many of the courses here assume that you’ll be working as a licensed security guard either once you finish or when you enrol.
How Long Do Security Courses Take
This depends on the provider you choose, but generally, lower qualifications will take less time to study, and higher ones will take longer. The most basic qualification in security, Certificate II in Security Operations, can take as little time as three weeks. At the other end of the scale, a Diploma of Security Risk Management will take about seven months to complete.
How Much Does It Cost To Do A Security Course
As with the length of courses, the price varies depending on which provider you go with and tends to go up the higher the qualification is. And if we use the same two qualifications as examples again, a Certificate II in Security Operations can be under $1000 for domestic students, and a Diploma of Security Risk Management will set you back about $2799.
What Should You Look For In A Security Training Provider
When looking for a training provider, your number one priority should be making sure they are a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). This means that the provider has been evaluated by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), and it’s been decided that they can deliver nationally-recognised training. Before you sign up for a security training course with any provider, take a look at their website to make sure they have an RTO number. This will simply be a number with the letters ‘RTO’ in front of it.
Can International Students Do Security Training
International students in Australia can do a security course as long as they have the appropriate visa. Whether the security course you want to study fulfils the conditions of your visa is another matter. You should check this – students on the 500 visa need to have a full-time study load, so if the security training you want to do doesn’t meet those requirements, you might have to do it as a secondary course alongside a full-time one. Your training provider also has to be registered with CRICOS.
Can I Study Security Online
The kind of security training aimed at licensed security guards is generally mostly in person due to the physical nature of the work, but some courses conduct part of their training online. It may be easier to find online courses in cyber security.
What Course Can You Do To Become A Licensed Security Officer
CPP20218 – Certificate II In Security Operations
The ground floor for a career in security is usually the Certificate II in Security Operations. Most of the other courses below will expect you to have done this course and already be a licensed, working security officer in order to enrol.
Requirements
You don’t need any previous education to enrol in Certificate II in Security Operations–it’s the ground floor. Any restrictions in place here are the general ones described above for any security courses: you will need sufficient literacy and numeracy to get through the course, you’ll have to have good general physical fitness, you’ll have to be an adult to enrol, and you may need to undergo a background check.
What Will I Learn?
To earn this qualification, you’ll have to study 14 units of competency. The knowledge and skills covered include:
- Protecting yourself and others with defensive techniques
- Patrolling premises to protect property
- Screening people
- Monitoring people and vehicles entering and leaving the premises
- Managing intoxicated people
- Removing people from the premises
What Can I Do With It?
Certificate II in Security Operations is a great base for further study in the field, but on its own, it can prepare you for work as an unarmed security guard or a crowd controller, providing you also fulfil the security licence requirements for your state or territory. To find out more about Certificate II in Security Operations, take a look at this article.
What Further Study Can Licensed Security Guards Do
CPP31318 – Certificate III In Security Operations
This course is for licensed security guards looking to deepen their knowledge and specialise, as well as lead others. It’s also possible for qualified officers to study individual units from Certificate III in Security Operations and be licensed for those additions.
Requirements
The only official entry requirement for this course is that you must hold a current security licence in your state or territory. In practice, this will mean that you’ll already hold Certificate II in Security Operations, as that’s the path to getting your security licence.
What Will I Learn?
Core units in this qualification include negotiation, working as part of a team, and documentation, but it’s the electives that make Certificate III really interesting.
This course can include topics like:
- Cash-in-transit procedures
- Handling dogs
- Control room operations
- Using metal detectors
- The use of batons and handcuffs
- The use of firearms
- Using body armour
What Can I Do With It?
Depending on the electives you choose, this course could qualify you for roles like an armed security officer, a dog patrol security officer, or a cash-in-transit armed security guard, provided you can get the appropriate licensing from the authorities in your state or territory.
CPP31418 – Certificate III In Close Protection Operations
You might not have heard the term ‘close protection’, but you’ve undoubtedly heard of bodyguards – close protection is essentially the work they do.
Requirements
There are no requirements for enrolling in this course, but most bodyguards have experience in more general security work before they specialise, so it will help to complete Certificate II in Security Operations and get some work experience in the field before trying to get into close protection.
What Will I Learn?
Some of the topics you’ll study as part of this course are:
- Planning and providing close protection services
- Keeping people under control while you’re unarmed
- Evaluating and responding to risky situations
- Monitoring the behaviour of crowds
- Evacuating people to a muster point
- Managing an evacuation to a muster point
What Can I Do With It?
This course is for anyone who wants to become a close protection operative, also known as a bodyguard. You could find yourself protecting and transporting public figures like celebrities and politicians.
AVI20118 – Certificate II In Transport Security Protection
This course aims to prepare you for a role screening members of the public in transport environments, mostly airports.
Requirements
Anyone can enrol in this course, but Certificate II in Security Operations provides a good background. You’ll also have to undergo a specific background check before your course to clear you for work in the industry. This can take a few weeks, so take that into account when planning the timing of your study.
What Will I Learn?
The material you’ll study as part of this course includes:
- Learning about dangerous goods and substances you might encounter
- Detecting explosives
- How to handle dangerous items like weapons
- Screening items by X-ray
- Using a body scanner
- Performing frisk searches on individuals
- Managing disruptive behaviour
What Can I Do With It?
This course can prepare you for jobs screening people in the transport industry, including working as a domestic or international airport screening officer or as an air cargo examination officer.
CPP40719 Certificate IV In Security Management
With this course, you’re getting more into the management side of the security industry, so people studying this course would generally be licensed security officers with considerable experience.
Requirements
There are no official entry requirements for this qualification. However, as the course is designed for ‘security supervisors and security business managers‘, it’s likely that you’ll be an experienced, licensed security officer holding (at least) Certificate II in Security Operations before you enrol.
What Will I Learn?
Things you’ll learn during this course could include:
- Arranging contracts for security businesses
- Designing security systems
- Managing work health and safety
- Reporting on financial activity
- Giving clients advice on their security needs
- Managing a security monitoring centre
- Recruiting new staff
What Can I Do With It?
This course is for people who are in various supervisory roles in the security industry or who are experienced enough to be moving towards those roles. This qualification could help you move towards Jobs like managing a control room, supervising security at events, or being the manager of your own security business.
CPP50619 – Diploma Of Security Risk Management
This qualification builds on the knowledge and skills in the Certificate IV in Security Management and is meant specifically for security risk consultants with a focus on mitigating threats from terrorism. This is a course for professionals well-advanced in their careers.
Requirements
To enrol in this course, you will need to have already completed Certificate IV in Security Management or Certificate IV in Security Risk Analysis.
What Will I Learn?
This course covers:
- Coordinating security operations
- Managing teams
- Analysing the environment for and responding to active threats
- Developing plans for risk management
What Can I Do With It?
People who study this high-level course could end up with roles like security risk specialist, security policy analyst or security strategist.
What Courses Are There In Technical Security
CPP20319 – Certificate II In Technical Security
Technical security deals with the installation and maintenance of security equipment like video surveillance systems, electronic locks and burglar alarms. There are generally no prerequisites for enrolling in Certificate II in Technical Security.
Requirements
This qualification has no specific entry requirements. It’s for beginners wanting to get into technical security.
What Will I Learn?
The material your course covers may include:
- Installing electronic locks
- Installing CCTV systems
- Observing and responding to information derived from security systems
- Installing and maintaining the cabling needed for security systems
- Giving quotes for the installation of security systems and other customer services
What Can I Do With It?
With this qualification, you’ll be prepared to work under supervision as a security technician of various types, depending on the electives you study. You could also work as a security salesperson.
CPP30519 Certificate III In Technical Security
This qualification takes the skills from Certificate II in Technical Security further, preparing experienced technicians to exercise more independence in their work and use their own judgement to plan security systems for clients.
Requirements
You will need to have already completed Certificate II in Technical Security to enter this course.
What Will I Learn?
The Certificate III includes units of competency that deal with:
- Installation of advanced security equipment
- Developing and configuring security systems for clients
- Troubleshooting video surveillance equipment
- Servicing electronic locks and other security equipment
- Testing installed security systems
What Can I Do With It?
This course will prepare you for work as a security technician, similar to the Certificate II in Technical Security, but you’ll be able to operate with less supervision and be prepared for more senior roles.
UEE31420 – Certificate III In Security Equipment
Like Certificates II and III in Technical Security, this course deals with installing and maintaining security systems and prepares you for work as a security technician. Unlike those two (and every other course discussed here so far), this course falls under the Electrotechnology training package rather than the Property Services Training Package. It covers some of the same ground as the courses in Technical Security, but it goes more deeply into the technology involved.
Requirements
There are no set educational prerequisites for this course, but there are some prerequisites for individual units of competency within it. So, it’s certainly not just a shortcut to avoid doing Certificates II and III in Technical Security. It’s more like an alternative pathway to becoming a security technician for people with a background in electrotechnology.
What Will I Learn?
The topics you can study as a part of this course include:
- Solving problems in electronic circuits
- Installing telecommunication cabling
- Instructing others in how to use electrotechnology equipment
- Repairing electronic faults
- Programming and testing large security systems
- Securing networked systems and equipment
What Can I Do With It?
This qualification is another option for becoming a security technician.
What Qualifications Are Available In Cyber Security
ICT30120 – Certificate III in Information Technology
If you’re looking to get into cyber security but have little experience or prior knowledge, this course is your entry. You will learn six mandatory core units in basic information technology plus six electives. These electives are where you’ll have the opportunity to specialise in a particular stream, including ten units in cyber security.
Requirements
There are no entry requirements for Certificate III in Information Technology.
What Will I Learn?
The elective topics in cyber security include such material as:
- Recognising and reporting threats to online security
- Protecting the security of digital devices
- Promoting cyber security in the workplace
- Monitoring the security of information communication technology systems
- Risk management in cyber security
- Responding to incidents in a cyber security context
What Can I Do With It?
With this qualification, you may be able to find work in technical support, network administration or digital media technologies at a basic level. You can also use it as a launching pad into further IT study, for example, in the Certificate IV in Cyber Security.
22603VIC – Certificate IV In Cyber Security
This higher-level course will allow you to build on your IT skills and further specialise in cyber security. By the time you finish, you’ll be ready for work as a cyber security technician protecting organisations or government bodies from unauthorised access or attacks.
Requirements
You may need to undergo an IT skills assessment for this course. Certificate III in Information Technology would be good background knowledge.
What Will I Learn?
The material taught in this course includes:
- Configuring and securing networked endpoints
- Finding vulnerabilities in websites
- Executing network security infrastructure for organisations
- Installing and managing servers
- Conducting data analysis in cyber security
- Assessing and testing an incident response plan
What Can I Do With It?
This qualification will allow you to work in cyber security at a paraprofessional level.
AWS Certifications
First, what is AWS? AWS stands for Amazon Web Services, a cloud computing platform widely used by clients, including big corporations and government agencies.
In discussing AWS certifications, we’re stepping away from the nationally-accredited certificate courses discussed so far. AWS certifications are not courses as such but exams that you take through Amazon. Amazon does, however, offer some training.
AWS certifications may be worth considering if you’re looking at a career in cyber security because there’s been an increased move toward the convenience of cloud computing since COVID-19 created a greater demand for remote work, and information on the cloud definitely needs protection. Should you consider AWS qualifications in the future, you should keep in mind that you can’t necessarily go straight to the training most relevant to cyber security (the certifications follow a hierarchy of their own from Foundational to more specialised and advanced) and that you have to pay to take each exam.
Other Qualifications You May Need To Work In The Security Industry
The short qualifications listed below are not courses in security as such, but they could be required for you, depending on what area of the security industry you work in.
HLTAID011 Provide First Aid
As you’ll see if you check the licensing information for each state and territory, licensed security officers all over Australia are required to have a qualification in first aid as a condition of their licence. Provide First Aid is a core unit of competency in Certificate II in Security Operations, so you’ll get it if you do that course.
What Will I Learn?
In Provide First Aid, you’ll learn basic life support skills like cardiopulmonary resuscitation and how to use an AED to help keep a casualty alive until qualified help arrives. The course also covers a variety of other first aid skills, including the treatment of fractures, asthma and choking.
SITHFAB021 – Provide Responsible Service Of Alcohol (RSA)
This qualification sounds like something only a bartender would need, but RSA training is relevant to anyone who works in a venue with a liquor licence, which, of course, can include security guards.
What Will I Learn?
An RSA course includes a lot of content that’s directly relevant to security guards working in pubs or other licensed establishments, like identifying when people are intoxicated, using conflict resolution skills, and identifying unsafe situations.
Which Security Course Is Best?
Rather than asking which is best, it might be better to ask which security course is right for you, and this depends on your goals. A Certificate II in Security Operations and acquiring a security licence according to the rules set by your state or territory is a good starting point for most. But many career pathways in security don’t require you to begin with this. For example, there are no prerequisites for enrolling in the Certificate II in Technical Security to become a security technician. As long as you get the right training, where you want to take your career in security is entirely up to you.