Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care CHC30121

The Certificate is perfect for people who are wanting to start a career as an Early Childhood Educator, as well as for those who are already working in the area but who need to formalise their qualifications in order to take the next step in their career.  

This course is suitable for those with some childcare experience already, who may be seeking to formalise their knowledge. The course is also suitable for new entrants as it is direct entry with no pre-requisite subjects. 

If you are an existing worker or have experience in the related industry, please inform our enrolment consultants during your enrolment conversation. You may be eligible to enrol as an existing worker and complete your studies faster. Please note - limitations do apply. 

If you are an existing worker or have experience in the related industry, please inform our enrolment consultants during your enrolment conversation. You may be eligible to enrol as an existing worker and complete your studies faster. Please note - limitations do apply.

During the course, you will learn how to: 

• Effectively and confidently care for babies, toddlers and children and support their development during the vitally important early childhood years. 
• Promote safe sleep; provide positive nappy-changing, toileting and mealtime experiences; and create a healthy, supportive and safe environment for babies and toddlers. 
• Master the art of caring for slightly older children. As part of this, you will learn how to promote kids’ development in a safe, healthy and inspiring manner, as well as how to encourage physical activity and how to help them adjust to change. 

The duration for the course is self paced - maximum of 18 months. As a self-paced online course, the time it will take you to complete is flexible and dependent on ability and time available.

Entry Requirements

There are no entry requirements for this qualification. It is also recommended that students

• Are 18 years old (students under 18 will need permission from a parent or guardian to enrol)
• Have language, literacy and numeracy skills that ensure the ability to work independently with assistance from a support person where required, extract information from simple text, and communicate with trainers via email. These skills are equivalent to those that would be required to successfully complete Year 10 or ACSF Level 2.
• Have basic computing skills

Minimum age

You will need to be at least 18 years old.

Physical Requirements

You will need to be reasonably physically fit, as the role of an educator involves a variety of tasks that require a reasonable amount of physical activity, such as personal care of children, and cleaning. Some lifting of children and equipment is also required. You should be suitably fit to undertake this manual lifting. 

Equipment and tools

Students will require access to the following equipment and tools

• A modern computer with high-speed internet
• Microsoft office or equivalent
• A device with audio & video capabilities
• People to participate in role plays & assessments

Language, Literacy and Numeracy

Our free online assessment tool can help give you an idea of the language, literacy and numeracy skills needed to study a VET course. This tool can also help you determine your learning level and help you plan your future studies. You can access the Language, Literacy and Numeracy tool here.

• By undertaking a work placement you’ll get a chance to put the knowledge you’ve learned on your course into practice.
• You’ll also develop practical, on-the-job skills and could make contacts that could help you find a job once you graduate.
• Work placement is often the most rewarding part of a student’s course. Working face-to-face with clients and colleagues in your chosen field makes a huge difference to your career confidence.

You’ll need to find a work placement yourself and ensure it’s approved by Open Colleges. When looking for a suitable work placement host organisation, have a think about the following:

• Are you already working or volunteering in the industry your course is related to? You could potentially do your work placement at your current place of work or have contacts that could recommend a suitable work place. Ask around!
• If you’re entering a new industry, do some research and start thinking about organisations you could approach. We have plenty of resources available to help with approaching and finding a suitable work placement organisation.

All costs of work placement, including any placement fees charged by the host organisation (whether to the student or Open Colleges), cost of statutory checks and vaccinations, travel, accommodation, and uniforms are the responsibility of the student. These fees will vary and are dependent on your location within Australia.

• Costs for statutory checks will range between $50 - $250 dependent on the type of check you select and your state.
• Costs for vaccinations will very between practitioners, please refer to your GP for approximate costs.
• Placement fees will vary, please discuss this with your intended host organisation for approximate costs.

Your placement hours can be done part time or as a block depending on the requirements and availability within the workplace. 

The Host Organisation needs to be able to provide the students with access to the equipment and resources necessary to undertake Workplace Assessments. The Host Organisation must be a regulated children’s education and care service in Australia, operating under the legislative requirements of the National Quality Framework. 

Workplaces suitable to undertake SWL at include (but are not limited to): 

• Long day care services catering for children 0-5 years of age  
• Preschools  

Open Colleges will need to ascertain whether the workplace you have chosen is appropriate before you commence your work placement hours. 

Please note that your host organisation may require you to provide an up to date immunisation history prior to the commencement of your work placement. Open Colleges has no control over this requirement so if you are unable to provide this, you will need to discuss it with your intended Host Organisation.

It should also be noted that some immunisations, such as Hepatitis B and COVID-19, need multiple injections to be administered over a specific time period before you are deemed immune. It is important that you consult with your GP as soon as possible to avoid delays in starting your work placement.

The Workplace Supervisor will need to be an individual currently employed as an educator with: 

• A minimum qualification of a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care or above 
• A minimum of three years’ experience in the role of Diploma Educator