Course Summary
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 and within organisational policies and procedures, within the requirements of the Education and Care National Quality Framework. Attaining the required skills and knowledge of an Early Childhood educator provides you with an understanding of how to engage children in play-based learning activities, that contribute to reaching individual children's developmental milestones.
To complete this course, students are required to undertake placement and complete a minimum of 160 hours of Vocational Placement. Students who are currently employed in a regulated early childhood service, may undertake their placement with their existing employer.
Units within the course are grouped together in clusters, with each cluster having its own specific Vocational Placement hours. Placement hours completed under one cluster can be carried over to the next cluster until the minimum 160 Vocational Placement hours are met.
These Vocational Placements aim to provide students with hands-on experience and real-world exposure, complementing their academic knowledge and fostering their professional development.
Requirements - To Be Eligible
For your application to be considered, you must meet the following entry requirements.
Entry RequirementsTo apply for this course at CQUniversity, you will need to be 15 years of age before the commencement date of your chosen intake.
To help us understand how best to support you, you’ll need to complete the bksb (Basic Key Skills Builder) online literacy, numeracy and digital literacy assessments to progress your application. Alternatively, completion of an equal or higher level course may exempt you from this testing.
Start TAFE Now students must be in Year 11.
Start TAFE Now students must supply a completed and signed Start Study Now Authorisation form.
Vocational Placement and Work Integrated Learning
Students must complete a Vocational Placement and/or Work Integrated Learning as part of this qualification.
Additional information
The course is organised to reflect the learning and work activities that take place within a regulated early childhood service, with a mandatory minimum vocational placement of 160 hours. Within this time allocation, students can demonstrate the required vocational placement tasks and skills for other units as required for the qualification. Students are required to find placement; however, staff are able to assist where needed.
Units within the course are grouped together in clusters, with each cluster having its own specific Vocational Placement hours. Placement hours completed under one cluster can be carried over to the next cluster until the minimum 160 Vocational Placement hours are met.
These Vocational Placements aim to provide students with hands-on experience and real-world exposure, complementing their academic knowledge and fostering their professional development.
As part of the assessment conditions, a CQUniversity Trainer and Assessor is required to observe students completing designated tasks while on placement. This ensures that competency is demonstrated in a real-world setting and aligns with training package requirements.
Students located in the following areas may be eligible for in-person observations conducted by a CQUniversity Trainer and Assessor:
- Rockhampton and surrounding areas
- Gladstone
- Mackay
- Emerald
Students who are not located in the approved in-person observation areas must arrange for virtual observations with their Trainer and Assessor. These will be conducted via Zoom or Microsoft Teams using a service device (e.g., a tablet or laptop provided by the service). The observer will watch live, replicating the process of an in-person observation.
To meet these requirements, students must complete their placement at a service that permits virtual assessment, including the use of video conferencing and devices for live observation by a CQUniversity Trainer and Assessor.
To participate in placement, it is a requirement to successfully obtain a Working with Children Check relevant to your state in Australia. Students who are employed in a regulated Early Childhood service can use their current employment for placement provided the service has babies under 23 months of age and children over 2 years of age.
Course Details
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| AQF Level | Level 3: Certificate III |
Admission Codes
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Domestic Students Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes |
Not Applicable |
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International Students CRICOS Codes |
Not Applicable |
Student Outcomes, Career Opportunities and Occupations
CHC30125 Certificate III Early Childhood Education and Care is a pre-requisite to the CHC50125 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care. Students can further their study opportunities with unit credits towards other qualifications within CQUniversity.
Occupations include but are not limited to Early Childhood Educator in long day care services, family daycare, in-home care, pre-schools or kindergartens.
- Complete 15 core units
- Complete 2 elective units
These Clusters have been designed as a recommended study plan to ensure all course requirements are met.Training.gov.au
Study Mode Definitions
- Online: Online courses provide the flexibility to study without normally requiring a student to visit a campus. Course content is studied through a number of means including the use of online discussion forums, electronic library resources, by contacting lecturers and teachers, and receiving study materials online/electronically. Work integrated learning, including placements, may be included in some courses.
- On-campus: Students studying in on-campus mode typically are expected to attend and participate in regular, structured on-campus teaching and learning activities throughout the University’s academic term. These activities may include lectures, tutorials, workshops and practice, online or other activities and normally will be timetabled at a CQUniversity campus or approved delivery site.
- Mixed Mode: Students studying in mixed mode will participate in a combination of online learning activities in addition to site-specific learning activities, which may include residential schools, co-op placements and/or work-integrated learning as a compulsory requirement of a unit. The additional site-specific learning activities are what differentiates a mixed-mode unit from an online unit.
*All study modes may include Vocational placement and/or work integrated learning.
Select a course structure below to view the delivery details, including the different study modes offered for each structure.
This course is delivered over a 50-week period (full-time) and 84-week period (part-time) however, as it is competency and cluster-based, it may be possible for students to complete their training sooner if they have reached the required skill level.
Students studying full-time should plan to dedicate approximately 23 hours per week to their coursework. Part-time students should expect to allocate around 11.5 hours per week.
The course is organised to reflect the learning and work activities that take place within an early childhood setting, with a mandatory minimum work placement of 160 hours in a regulated children's education and care service in Australia.
If you have previously completed study, you may be eligible to receive a credit towards your study. Please discuss this with your teacher at the beginning of your study.
- Online
- Domestic
ONLINE CHC30125 CLUSTERS
Enrolment Guidance:
- All clusters must be completed in sequential order
- Part-time students - enrol into one full cluster at a time.
- Full-time students - enrol into two full clusters at a time in the same study period.
- Partial cluster enrolment is only possible if credit has been awarded for the other unit/s in the cluster.
This course is delivered over a 50-week period (full-time) and 84-week period (part-time) however, as it is competency and cluster-based, it may be possible for students to complete their training sooner if they have reached the required skill level.
Students studying full-time should plan to dedicate approximately 23 hours per week to their coursework. Part-time students should expect to allocate around 11.5 hours per week.
The course is organised to reflect the learning and work activities that take place within an early childhood setting, with a mandatory minimum work placement of 160 hours in a regulated children's education and care service in Australia.
If you have previously completed study, you may be eligible to receive a credit towards your study. Please discuss this with your teacher at the beginning of your study.
- Online
- Domestic
ONLINE CHC30125 CLUSTERS
Enrolment Guidance:
- All clusters must be completed in sequential order
- Part-time students - enrol into one full cluster at a time.
- Full-time students - enrol into two full clusters at a time in the same study period.
- Partial cluster enrolment is only possible if credit has been awarded for the other unit/s in the cluster.
This course is delivered full-time over a 50 week period, however as it is competency and cluster-based, it may be possible for students to complete their training sooner if they have reached the required skill level.
Students should plan to dedicate approximately 16 hours per week to their coursework. outside of the allocated class time.
The course is organised to reflect the learning and work activities that take place within an early childhood setting, with a mandatory minimum work placement of 160 hours in a regulated children's education and care service in Australia. As part of the assessment conditions, a CQUniversity Trainer and Assessor is required to observe students completing designated tasks while on placement. For more information about placement observations, visit the Work Integrated Learning And Placements tab.
If you have previously completed study, you may be eligible to receive a credit towards your study. Please discuss this with your teacher at the beginning of your study.
Classes are conducted one day per week, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, except public holidays and Queensland School holiday periods on the following campuses:
- Rockhampton North campus on a Tuesday
- Gladstone Marina campus on a Thursday
Note: If minimum enrolments for class are not met, a video link will be provided to conduct training.
- On-campus
- Domestic
ONLINE CHC30125 CLUSTERS
Enrolment Guidance:
Enrol into two full clusters at a time in the same study period. All clusters must be completed in sequential order and partial cluster enrolment is only possible if credit has been awarded for the other unit/s in the cluster.
This course is delivered over a 50-week period (full-time) and 84-week period (part-time) however, as it is competency and cluster-based, it may be possible for students to complete their training sooner if they have reached the required skill level.
Students studying full-time should plan to dedicate approximately 23 hours per week to their coursework. Part-time students should expect to allocate around 11.5 hours per week.
The course is organised to reflect the learning and work activities that take place within an early childhood setting, with a mandatory minimum work placement of 160 hours in a regulated children's education and care service in Australia.
If you have previously completed study, you may be eligible to receive a credit towards your study. Please discuss this with your teacher at the beginning of your study.
- Online
- Domestic
ONLINE CHC30125 CLUSTERS
Enrolment Guidance:
- All clusters must be completed in sequential order
- Part-time students - enrol into one full cluster at a time.
- Full-time students - enrol into two full clusters at a time in the same study period.
- Partial cluster enrolment is only possible if credit has been awarded for the other unit/s in the cluster.
Course Assessment Information
Credit transfer - If credit for relevant formal qualifications is sought, then the process will be actioned after the student has enrolled in at least one unit of competency as directed by the relevant trainer/assessor. The Trainer/Assessor will work with the student on their credit transfer application, and provide advice and support as necessary.
| Assessment Types |
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| Written/Electronic Assessment |
| Practical Task |
| Third Party Verification |
| Project |
| RPL |
| Other |