CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care

Name: Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
Price: <a href="#fees-and-scholarships">Free TAFE</a> No tuition fees for eligible students AUD

VU course code: CHC30121 | CRICOS: 11133H | Level of study: TAFE

Duration

1 year full time

Delivery mode

Face to Face with eLearning and Workplace, Face to Face with eLearning

Fees

Free TAFE

No tuition fees for eligible students

Location

Footscray Nicholson, Werribee, St Albans

Next start date

21 July 2025

Application closes

14 July 2025

View all start dates

Overview

Turn your passion for working with children into a rewarding career with a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care CHC30121 at Victoria University (VU).

Get job-ready with hands-on learning in our early-childhood practical rooms, and via two practical work placements in industry.

You’ll complete this course with the qualification and confidence to work in early-childhood education and childcare centres caring for children from birth to six years old. You’ll:

learn the fundamentals of early childhood development
develop skills to support and nurture babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers
gain expertise to plan and provide enriching educational experiences for children in a range of environments.

Your Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care covers topics such as:

effective interaction and communication with children
appropriate care for babies, toddlers and children
nutrition
first aid, health and safety
working legally and ethically.

: 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. Educators use a range of well-developed skills and knowledge using discretion and judgment when carrying out their work in the context of established policies and procedures. They may work independently or under the guidance of others, though in some contexts that guidance may not be on-site.
Early childhood educators work in long day care centres, family day care, pre-schools or kindergartens.
Under the Education and Care Services National Law (2011) the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) publishes lists of approved early childhood education and care qualifications and information regarding regulatory requirements here: www.acecqa.gov.au
: Practise your skills in a simulated early childhood environment in the early childhood practical classrooms on-campus in Werribee, St Albans, Footscray or Sunshine.
At VU, you’ll collaborate with your classmates to work through scenarios and debrief with your expert teachers to improve your skills.
Benefit from our close ties to the community, with the purpose-built Victoria University Children’s Centre on our Werribee and Footscray Nicholson Campuses, providing care and education with a varied indoor and outdoor play-based program.
: A key component of this course is three work placements, in which you’ll work alongside experienced professionals to consolidate your skills and put theory into practice.
As a VU student, you’ll benefit from our extensive partner network, which includes schools and community and government organisations, particularly in Melbourne’s north and west. Your placements may also lead to paid employment.
Your teachers are experts in their field and have valuable industry contacts. You’ll also get to hear from guest speakers, and your assessments will be scenario-based with links to the real world.
: This course will give you the minimum qualification and skills to take on paid roles in early childhood centres. It’s also the first step towards further career advancements in early childhood.
To open doors to higher-level responsibilities in the sector, after completing this course you’ll enjoy guaranteed entry into our Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, which can also lead into bachelor-level study at VU.
: There's never been a better time to study early childhood education. Join an information session to find out more.

This course is nationally recognised training.

Entry requirements

When assessing your application, we consider your education, work experience, current skills and personal attributes (where relevant).

Applicants for this course will need to meet the entry criteria outlined below. If you don’t meet the entry criteria, you may be able to gain entry by first completing a different course. We call this a ‘pathway’.

You may also be eligible for ‘Recognition of Prior Learning’, which lets you finish your course more quickly when you have gained some of the skills required from past study or work experience.

Entry criteria

Standard applicants must complete to determine suitability:

Pre-training Review (PTR)

Literacy and numeracy assessment

Students will also be required to demonstrate they have the capacity to work with children and families in the highly demanding field of early childhood as set out by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) and the Education and Care Services National Regulations by participating in an interview. This may be conducted individually or as a group, at the discretion of Victoria University. Further information can be found at: https://www.acecqa.gov.au/.

Traineeship applicants must complete to determine suitability:

Pre-training Review (PTR)

Literacy and numeracy assessment

must be employed as an trainee

must have an active Epsilon number before commencing the course.

Students will also be required to demonstrate they have the capacity to work with children and families in the highly demanding field of early childhood as set out by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) and the Education and Care Services National Regulations by participating in an interview. This may be conducted individually or as a group, at the discretion of Victoria University. Further information can be found at: https://www.acecqa.gov.au/

VDSS applicants must complete to determine suitability:

Pre-training Review (PTR)

The suitability, literacy and numeracy levels of applicants will be assessed through consultation with the relevant secondary school.

Practical Placement:
For employment and practical placement purposes, this vocational sector typically requires:

a current and satisfactory Police Record Check

Working with Children Check

Immunisation

Failure to provide the required documents in the timeframe specified by the Course Coordinator means you will be unable to undertake a practical placement in a workplace and therefore not eligible to progress in this course.
The following are suggested sites you could visit to obtain these checks:

Police Record Check - http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=274

Working with Children Check - http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/

It is an industry expectation that those engaging with young children in an early childhood setting are fully immunised. Any students electing not to disclose their immunisation status, conscientious object to vaccinations or have a contraindication, must contact the placement coordinator to discuss the impact this may have on their capacity to undertake placement. Incomplete immunisation may impact your course progression due to a lack of appropriate placement opportunities.
Information about the immunisations can be found online at https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/immunisation

Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee you entry into this course.

Some courses receive more applications than the number of places available. In this situation we will also assess your education, work and other relevant experience.

Special entry programs

Special admission programs

If you are from a disadvantaged or underrepresented social, economic or cultural background, you may be eligible for one of our special admission programs. These programs are designed to help you access education more easily.

Learn more about special entry programs

VU Early Entry

If you're currently in Year 11 or 12, our exclusive VU Early Entry program comes with a Conditional Offer to the course of your choosing*, a personalised course plan, special events, exclusive discounts and access to one-on-one course advice.

*Conditions apply.

Learn more about VU Early Entry

Credit & Entry pathways into this course

Victoria University is committed to providing a transparent admissions process. Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency. Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee entry into this course. Past academic performance may be considered.

Course structure

To be awarded CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, 17 units must be completed consisting of:

15 core units
2 elective units of which

- 1 unit must be selected from the CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care qualification

- 1 unit may be selected from any endorsed training package or accredited courses – this unit must be relevant to the work outcome.

Vocational Education and Training Delivered to Secondary Schools (VDSS) students who complete these units of study as part of the VDSS will be issued a Statement of Attainment.

Units

Fees & scholarships

TAFE fees vary, depending on how much the government contributes towards course costs (if anything).

Read below to find out about the fee ‘type’, the estimated yearly tuition costs for this course, and the financial support on offer.

Fees

Scholarships

Careers

Take advantage of the opportunity to become one of the more than 11,000 new early childhood teachers and educators the Victorian Government is estimating we will need over the next decade.

With a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care CHC30121, you could take on roles such as: