Please note that the fees displayed are for 2025 and may change for 2026 commencements
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.
Delivery Methods
- On-campus – The majority of teaching and assessment is conducted on-campus
- Traineeship – Teaching and assessment will be required to be conducted as part of a traineeship
- Online/Workplace - Teaching and assessment is completed online and in the workplace
Locations
- McKoy Street, Wodonga Vic (Main campus)
When You Can Enrol
On-campus/blended: Register your details via the ‘Enquire Now’ form to be notified when future dates are scheduled, or to chat to our friendly Customer Experience team.
Online (Pathway to Diploma) - apply any time, for employed educators needing to upgrade existing qualifications.
For traineeship information and enrolments, the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) is your first point of contact.
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.
Schedule
On campus/blended: Start July, 2.5 Days per week - Monday 9am-12pm, Tuesday & Thursday 9am-3.30pm
Online (Pathway to Diploma) - self-paced, for employed educators needing to upgrade existing qualifications.
Online/Workplace: for students currently employed in industry: Workplace-based with scheduled online workshops. Attendance is required at monthly online meetings from 6pm (Wednesday evenings), and optional weekly study groups (Tuesday evenings, 5.30pm-7.30pm).
Workplace (traineeship): Workplace-based with scheduled online workshops, which are variable to tie in with your work commitments. Attendance is required at monthly online meetings from 6pm (Wednesday evenings), and optional weekly study groups (Tuesday evenings, 5.30pm-7.30pm). Individual training plans will be developed in consultation with your employer, as part of your traineeship.
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