Please note that the fees displayed are for 2024 and may change for 2025 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. If you have successfully completed an earlier Certificate III in Early Childhood qualification, an accelerated learning pathway to the current Certificate III (CHC30121) may be available to you as a requirement for entry to the Diploma (CHC50121). If you are interested in the accelerated learning pathway please register your interest via the 'Enquire Now' button.
Support and Mentoring Programs for Early Childhood Students
- Early Childhood Tertiary Partnerships Program 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.
- GROW Early Childhood Careers Program Wodonga TAFE and La Trobe University have partnered to provide opportunities for pathways and additional support from TAFE to university studies with the new GROW Program. Find out more about the GROW Program here.
Information Session
Join us for an upcoming information session to help you decide which course you want to study and answer any questions you have regarding the course, outcomes, or opportunities. Meet the teachers, see our facilities and hear all about studying at TAFE.
Thursday 17 October & Wednesday 20 November- Community service courses, such as:
- Early Childhood Education and Care
- Individual Support (Ageing/Disability)
- School Based Education Support
- Community Services
- Leisure & Health
Each session will be held 6pm-7.30pm in Building B at Wodonga TAFE, 87 McKoy St, West Wodonga
Please register your attendance using this form: Register Now
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
Locations
- McKoy Street, Wodonga Vic (Main campus)
When You Can Enrol
Duration
- On-campus, full-time: 12 months.
- Traineeship (workplace-based): 15-24 months.
Schedule
- On campus/blended: 2.5 Days per week - Monday 9am-12pm, Wednesday & Thursday 9am-3.30pm
- Workplace (traineeship): Workplace-based with scheduled online workshops, which are variable to tie in with your work commitments. Attendance is required at monthly Zoom meetings online from 6pm (Wednesday evenings), or fortnightly on-campus study groups (Tuesday evenings, 6pm-8pm). Individual training plans will be developed in consultation with your employer, as part of your traineeship.
Requirements
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.
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).
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