Passionate about enhancing and influencing the lives of young children? Early childhood teaching is a highly respected and sort after qualification. This qualification gives you the knowledge to perform work-supporting children’s wellbeing, learning and development in early learning centres and junior primary classes.
This course prepares students with both the practical and theoretical skills to work in a variety of disciplines including; day care, preschool, integrated child and family services, and early intervention services.
This qualification reflects the role of educators in early childhood education and care who work in regulated children’s education and care services in Australia. They support children’s wellbeing, and development in the context of an approved learning framework. Educators use a range of well-developed skills and knowledge using discretion and judgment when carrying out their work in the context of established policies and procedures. They may work independently or under the guidance of others, though in some contexts that guidance may not be on-site.
Early childhood educators work in long day care centres, family day care, pre-schools or kindergartens.
To achieve this qualification, the individual must have completed a total of least 160 hours of work in a regulated children’s education and care service in Australia as detailed in the Assessment Requirements of units of competency. The total number of hours may be applied collectively across all units of competency that include the requirement for workplace hours.
To work in childcare you must have, or be actively working towards, at least a Certificate III Qualification.
The Education and Care Services National Regulations state under Section 126: Centre-based services – The qualification requirements for educators at center-based services for children preschool age or under are – at least 50 per cent of the educators who are required to meet the relevant educator to child ratios for the service must have, or be actively working towards, at least an approved diploma level education and care qualification. Section 128: Family Day Care coordinator qualifications state: A family day care coordinator must have an approved diploma level education and care qualification.