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CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care

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Qualification Description

This qualification prepares you for roles in a variety of early childhood settings, working within the Education and Care Services National Regulations and the National Quality Standard. You will support the implementation of an approved learning framework and contribute to children’s wellbeing, learning, and development. Depending on the service, you may work under direct supervision or take on responsibilities more independently.

If you are passionate about giving the next generation the best possible start, this course is your pathway to a meaningful and in-demand career in early childhood education and care.

In this qualification, you will:

• Develop job-ready skills for a growing industry

• Gain hands-on experience in real early childhood settings, guided by our qualified trainers

• Learn in a supportive and positive environment

You will build practical skills in areas such as:

• Supporting children’s health, safety, and wellbeing

• Nurturing babies, toddlers, and young children

• Building positive and respectful relationships with children

• Using approved learning frameworks to guide practice

• Planning play-based experiences that foster learning and development

This qualification empowers you to step confidently into early childhood education and care roles while giving children the best possible start in life. More than a course, it’s your first step toward a rewarding career that shapes the future.

Career Opportunities

Employment may be sought in the following areas:

Early Childhood Educator
Family Day Care Educator
Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) Educator
Nanny
Child development worker
Kindergarten Assistant
Teacher’s Aide

Modes of Delivery

Blended delivery including:

Self- paced online study
Workplace based training and direct observation
Traineeships
Online study groups
TEAMS training

Duration

This course is self-paced, so you can fit study around your lifestyle. There are no exams.

The Certificate III includes 17 units in total:

15 core units (including HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting)

2 elective units (both must be completed)

Most students complete the program in 12 (full time status) –24 (part time status) months, but the more time you dedicate to study, the sooner you can achieve your qualification.

Our experienced Trainer Assessors will work with you to create a personalised training plan, helping you set realistic timeframes and stay on track to reach your study goals.

Entry Requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this course, however, AIECS requires you:

Are aged 15 years or older by the course commencement date;
Have successfully completed Year 10 (or equivalent) or are of mature age;
Have basic English skills (written and verbal communication).
Completion of a student evaluation on language, literacy and numeracy
All students must satisfy Police and Working with Children checks.
A Unique Student Identifier (USI)

Practical Expectations

To complete this course, students must complete a minimum of 160 hours of workplace experience.

The purpose of workplace experience is to give you practical, hands-on opportunities to apply what you’ve learned in real childcare settings. This experience helps you build essential foundation skills such as:

communication
interpreting and following instructions
problem-solving
teamwork

Workplace experience also allows you to demonstrate the practical skills required to achieve competency.

NOTE: Depending on your level of understanding and ability to demonstrate skills competently, you may be required to complete additional hours beyond the minimum 160. This ensures you graduate with the confidence and capability to thrive in your role as an educator.

Student Volunteer Placement

If you are not currently employed or volunteering in the early childhood industry, you will be required to complete a student volunteer placement. This placement gives you the opportunity to practise your new skills in a real-world early learning environment, supported by experienced educators.

We can assist in arranging your placement to ensure you gain the experience you need. Placement availability will depend on the service, so it’s important to understand that we may need to negotiate suitable days and times with the centre. Students should not assume that a service can take them on any day. Placements are arranged in line with the service’s needs and capacity.

Practicum hours can be completed flexibly. Either in blocks or spread out throughout your program. This flexibility allows you to fit placement around other commitments such as annual leave, family, or work.

A minimum of 160 hours of student placement is required for this qualification. However, depending on your level of understanding and your ability to demonstrate competent skills, you may need to complete additional hours to meet competency requirements.

It’s important to understand that a unit of competency cannot be completed or marked as competent until you have undertaken enough practicum hours for an assessor to observe you in the workplace. This means you do not need to complete all 160 hours before progressing in your course, but you must complete sufficient hours for your assessor to directly observe your skills against the unit requirements.

Your assessor will guide you on the minimum hours needed before observation can take place.
This ensures you graduate not only qualified, but confident and job ready.

HLTAID012 – Provide first aid in an education and care setting

Students have the option of choosing their own First Aid provider to complete this qualification.
AIECS offers CPR (HLTAID009) and Full First Aid (HLTAID012) workshops at our College Campus in Shailer Park.
Dates are announced monthly.
If you are intrested in completing a CPR or First Aid with AIECS, you can enrol via our ENROL NOW page, call (07) 3451 9990 or email admin@aiecs.com.au

Further Studies

On successful completion of this Qualification students may progress in to the CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.

Units of competency

Compulsory

HLTWHS001 Participate in workplace health and safety

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required for workers to participate in safe work practices to ensure their own health and safety, and that of others.

CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to support and protect children and young people who are at risk of harm. This work occurs within legislative and policy frameworks and carries a duty of care responsibility.

CHCECE055 Meet legal and ethical obligations in children's education and care

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to identify and meet legal and ethical obligations. This includes the ability to recognise potential and actual examples of non-compliance with regulatory requirements and contribute to the continuous improvement of practice.

CHCECE056 Work effectively in children's education and care

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to work in a children’s education and care context using effective communication and knowledge of job roles, responsibilities and service procedures to complete daily work activities.

CHCECE034 Use an approved learning framework to guide practice

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to source and use an approved childhood learning framework.

CHCECE031 Supprt children's health, safety and wellbeing

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge to support and promote children’s health, safety and wellbeing in relation to physical activity, healthy eating, sleep, rest and relaxation and individual medical requirements.

CHCECE032 Nurture babies and toddlers

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to develop relationships with babies and toddlers and their families and attend to the specific physical and emotional needs of babies and toddlers from birth to 23 months.

CHCECE033 Develop positive and respectful relationships with children

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to communicate and interact respectfully with children and to guide their behaviours in ways that support their agency, positive sense of self and self-regulation.

CHCECE035 Support inclusion and diversity

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge to recognise and support the interrelationship between the physical, social, emotional, cognitive and communication development of children.

CHCECE036 Provide experiences to support children's play and learning

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to set up, support and review experiences for children’s play and learning.

CHCECE037 Support children to connect with the natural environment

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to support and encourage children’s connection with the natural environment.

CHCECE038 Observe children to inform practice

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to identify and gather information about children from observation and other sources as part of a collaborative process and as a basis for curriculum planning.

CHCECE030 Support inclusion and diversity

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to reflect on and understand the impact of own values and biases, demonstrate respect for inclusion and diversity, and support children’s understanding of inclusive principles and behaviours.

CHCECE054 Encourage understanding of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples culture

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to identify different perspectives on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultures, develop an understanding of the local and broader cultural contexts, and use the identified information to embed culturally appropriate experiences, interactions, behaviours and physical environments into daily practice with children.

HLTAID012 Provide first aid in an education and care setting

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to provide a first aid response to infants and children in line with first aid guidelines determined by the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) and other Australian national peak clinical bodies.

This unit applies to a range of workers within an education and care setting who are required to respond to a first aid emergency, including asthma and anaphylactic emergencies. This includes early childhood workers and educators who work with school age children in outside school hours care and vacation programs.

This unit of competency may contribute towards approved first aid, asthma and anaphylaxis training under the Education and Care Services National Law, and the Education and Care Services National Regulations (2011).

Specific licensing/regulatory requirements relating to this competency, including requirements for refresher training should be obtained from the relevant national/state/territory Work Health and Safety Regulatory Authorities

Elective

CHCPRP003 Reflect on and improve own professional practice

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to evaluate and enhance own practice through a process of reflection and ongoing professional development.

BSBSTR401 Promote innovation in team environments

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to identify and implement ways of promoting innovation within team environments in the workplace.