June - July 2024
Initial feedback from stakeholders indicates a need to address common skills gaps for pathology, which are reiterated across health and social assistance industries.
Skills gaps to address include:
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regional healthcare settings and point of care testing
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support for specialist environments
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development for a range of patient handling
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digital literacy skills
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pre-requisite skills
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professional responsibilities and soft skills.
Project outcomes will better align qualifications to the industry needs and regulatory requirements and will create clear and sustainable career pathways to support existing and future industry growth.
A project Technical
Committee is being established to provide expert advice. Technical Committee members are selected for their relevant expertise in the diverse project aspects.
Project fact sheet
View the Terms of Reference and Project Reference Group members.
August 2024
Information gathering activities will be undertaken to prepare drafts units of competency, qualifications and skill sets for national stakeholder consultations. These include:
- a Technical Committee meeting to source stakeholders to consult on qualifications content, for insight on communication and consultation strategies, and to provide technical knowledge of the skills required to meet the desired vocational outcomes
- 16 one-on-one employer interviews to determine the skills required in their organisations, career pathways for workers and focused changes in their sector in the foreseeable future. These will include employers from small, medium and large employers
- an online functional analysis workshop with industry stakeholders from all Australian jurisdictions to determine skill commonalities and differences. This will assist in determining core and elective components of the draft qualifications
- desktop research used to gather publicly available information on industry standards, working conditions and employer recruitment selection criteria.
November 2024
Consultations were held between Tuesday 5 November and Tuesday 24 December 2024.
We collected your feedback through a number of mechanisms including targeted interviews, public workshops, site visits, surveys, phone calls, and emails.
Targeted interviews, public workshops and site visits were conducted with stakeholders providing valuable perspectives on the qualification review. Face-to-face workshops and site visits were held in Perth (5/11/24), Adelaide (7/11/24), Darwin (12/11/24), Brisbane (15/11/24), Newcastle (25/11/24), Sydney (27/11/24), Albury (28/11/24), Melbourne (3/12/24), Canberra (5/12/24), and Hobart (11/12/24). Stakeholders were also provided with the opportunity to participate in online workshops (12/12/24 and 16/12/24) and to submit feedback via survey. The survey for this project closed on Tuesday 24 December 2024.
We would like to thank all participants who provided their feedback and contributed to the development of the draft training products. Here’s what you told us.
Public Consultation Feedback
The draft training product documentation that was made available through the consultation period is available to download.
Draft Training Product Documentation
Overview of the Occupation and Purpose of Qualification Updates
This project review focused on updating the pathology qualifications to reflect current industry practices, strengthen workforce capability and ensure graduates are equipped to meet both current and emerging needs of the health sector.
Pathology workers play a critical role in the healthcare system by collecting, preparing, and processing specimens, conducting diagnostic tests, and supporting accurate medical diagnosis and treatment. They work across hospital laboratories, community pathology services, collection centres and specialist diagnostic facilities, combining technical precision with strong compliance and customer service skills.
The qualifications have been updated to ensure they remain current, relevant and fit-for-purpose, reflecting:
- technological advances in specimen collection, testing equipment and diagnostic processes
- evolving industry requirements for accuracy, infection control and patient-centred care
- workforce demand for graduates who are immediately job ready and adaptable to new testing methodologies
- alignment with national standards, regulatory requirements and industry best practice.
Qualifications and Units Reviewed
The review encompassed the following qualification:
- HLT37215 Certificate III in Pathology Collection
- HLT37415 Certificate III in Pathology Assistance
Units reviewed included core competencies in:
- specimen collection, preparation, and transport
- pathology testing procedures and quality control
- infection prevention and control
- patient communication, privacy, and consent
- workplace health, safety, and regulatory compliance
- digital data entry and diagnostic equipment operation.
Summary of Consultations
We extend our sincere thanks to all individuals and organisations who generously contributed their time and expertise to this project. At its commencement, a Technical Committee of eight members was established, with representation from Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales. The Committee comprised Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), pathology service providers, peak industry bodies, and employers, all of whom provided ongoing guidance and valuable input throughout the project.
Consultations were conducted between Tuesday 4th November and Tuesday 24th December 2024 using a mix of workshops, surveys, site visits, email submissions, and meetings with subject matter experts (SMEs).
- Online workshops and targeted interviews were held with employers, training providers, regulators, and practitioners from metropolitan and regional settings.
- Site visits provided opportunities to observe workplace practices and validate the relevance of skills.
- Written submissions and survey feedback captured a wide range of stakeholder perspectives.
This extensive consultation ensured that diverse industry views informed the review and that the final qualifications meet both workforce needs and training standards.
Key Outcomes of the Review
1. Training product templates
- Qualifications and skill sets were subsequently updated to align with the 2025 template requirements.
2. Qualification changes
- HLT37215 Certificate III in Pathology Collection and HLT37415 Certificate III in Pathology Assistance were merged into one qualification HLT37525 Certificate III in Pathology
3. New skill set developed
- HLTSS00085 Perform Blood Collection from Children Aged 0 to 5 Years Skill Set
4. New unit of competency developed
- HLTPAT013 Perform venous blood collection from children 0 to 5 years
5. All units had edits to Performance Criteria (PC) and Knowledge Evidence (KE) for enhanced clarity
6. Some units had minor changes to their application
Consultation
- 4 site visits conducted across regional hospital/pathology facilities
- 9 meetings held: 6 face-to-face and 3 online
- 7 technical committee workshops
- 139 informed stakeholders engaged in the review and development of training package components
All feedback has been recorded and responded to in the consultation log. A summary of feedback from the Consultation stage and how it has been considered and addressed is included below.
Documents Submitted to the Assurance Body
Qualification
Units of Competency
Skill Sets
Companion Volume Implementation Guide
Supporting documents
- Training Product Submission Form – outlines the project activities, outcomes, and the training products proposed for endorsement.
- List of Training products for submission – details the specific training products submitted for endorsement.
- Consultation log – records stakeholder engagement and feedback, providing evidence to support the submission.
- Anti-Discrimination Assessment – documents the measures and considerations undertaken to ensure compliance with anti-discrimination requirements throughout the project.
June to August 2025
Please check back later for further information.