Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care

Overview

Become an Early Childhood Educator! Gain the skills and knowledge you need for a rewarding career and employment in an early childhood setting. Learn to use organisation policies, procedures, and individual children's profiles to plan activities and provide care to children, facilitating their leisure and play and enabling them to achieve their developmental outcomes. Depending on the early childhood service or setting, as an Early Childhood Educator you may work under direct supervision or autonomously.

NOTE: Successful completion of the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC30113 or CHC30121) is a prerequisite for enrolment into the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.

Pathway to Diploma Program If you have successfully completed an earlier Certificate III in Early Childhood qualification, you may be eligible to undertake the Pathway to Diploma program to update your existing qualifications to meet the entry requirements to the Diploma (CHC50121).

Support and Mentoring Programs for Early Childhood Students

The Early Childhood Tertiary Partnerships Program is funded by the Victorian Government. The ECTP program aims to increase the number of Certificate III, Diploma, and Degree qualified early childhood educators in Victoria, through mentoring, support groups, workshops and more. Find out more about the ECTP program here.

Where and When

Select a location to view course offerings and apply.

Duration

• On-campus, full-time: 12 months.
• Online/workplace: 15-24 months.
• Online/workplace (Pathway to Diploma) - 6 months
• Traineeship (workplace-based): 15-24 months.

Requirements

• Successful applicants for this course will be required to obtain a Working with Children's Check for both Victoria and NSW and may be asked to apply for a National Police check prior to placement. Please note: Fees may apply to these checks.

• Successful applicants for this course may be required to provide evidence of immunisation records (for placement).

• Students in early childhood services are no longer required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend work/placement on-site. While no longer mandated, individual services will continue to have the choice to require their students/staff to be vaccinated. This is a decision that can be made at a local level based on the requirements of each service, which may impact placement opportunities.

• Early childhood workers are required to have a suitable level of physical capability, including the ability to lift and carry children and babies, sit or kneel on the floor, be able to change nappies, set up play areas and more. If you have concerns about your physical capabilities, please ensure you discuss this in your pre-training review.

Field Placement

Prior to industry placement, students will be required to complete a series of practical simulated tasks under supervision of our qualified Early Childhood teachers. This is to provide students with hands-on practical implementation of skills before entering a workplace environment outside of TAFE. All students studying Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care must complete a minimum of 160 hours of practical placement in a regulated children's education and care service. For successful completion of the course, 100% attendance is required at all rostered placements. The exact dates are arranged and timetabled into the program but may change subject to venue availability. The specific aims of placement are to:

• apply knowledge and skills learned during your studies in the workplace;
• become familiar with employers' expectations;
• increase your employment options and employability skills; and
• broaden your understanding of the industry.

As part of placement and applied learning students must wear enclosed shoes throughout. Placement uniform shirts will be provided by Wodonga TAFE. Placement services may also have expectations around workwear requirements. Please note: There may also be a requirement for students to travel for work placement.

Note: Students in early childhood services are no longer required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend work/placement on-site. While no longer mandated, individual services will continue to have the choice to require their students/staff to be vaccinated. This is a decision that can be made at a local level based on the requirements of each service, which may impact placement opportunities.

Assessment

The method of assessment varies and can include (but is not limited to):

• observation in the workplace or simulated environment
• written tasks, including quizzes
• research tasks, including projects
• portfolios
• oral presentations
• group work

Skills Developed

• Develop positive and respectful relationships with children
• Use an approved learning framework to guide practice
• Support the holistic development of children in early childhood
• Provide experiences to support children's play and learning
• Use information about children to inform practice
• Provide an emergency first aid response in an education and care setting
• Use an approved learning framework to guide practice

Certification

By successfully completing this course you will receive a nationally recognised AQF qualification

Compulsory Units

Fees

Fees Additional Information

Additional course costs that may apply Please note depending on individual circumstance there may be additional costs that apply throughout the completion of your qualification. These will be discussed further with your Course Coordinator, and may include:

• Working With Children Check
• National Police Check
• Vaccination requirements
• Workwear requirements for work placement
• Travel requirements to placement.

The student tuition fees published are indicative only and can be subject to change given individual circumstances at the time of enrolment. Funding may be made available to eligible individuals by State and Commonwealth Governments. If funding is utilised, this may affect opportunities to access additional funding in the future. For more information see 'Fee information and eligibility' under the 'How to Apply' tab on the Wodonga TAFE website.

Materials

• Placement log book
• Placement uniform shirts
• Student name badge

Pathways

The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care may lead into further studies such as the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care. Successful completion of the Diploma may also give you credits towards a degree at university.

Careers

• Early childhood educator
• Outside school hours care assistant
• Playgroup supervisor
• Recreation assistant
• Family day care worker
• Nanny
• Childhood educator
• Childhood educator assistant.

How To Apply

Applying for a course at Wodonga TAFE is a simple 4-5 step process. You can learn more here: Understanding the application process

Click the Apply Now button in the list below for the time and location that interests you.