Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

This practical childcare course will prepare you for a rewarding career providing education and care to children during their formative years.

During the early-childhood diploma, you will gain expertise in providing activities and care to children, with an emphasis on play-based learning. By facilitating learning and play, you will help children to achieve important developmental outcomes.

To build your confidence, you'll get real childcare experience during five work placements, and gain important practical skills during a first aid course.

By the end of your early-childhood diploma, you will be a skilled, qualified early-childhood educator with expertise in:

• childhood development (aesthetic, creative, physical)
• planning for children with additional needs
• networking and family partnerships
• first aid, health and safety.

Entry to this qualification is open to individuals who hold one of the following qualifications:

• CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
• CHC30113 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.

For further information, refer to Admission Requirements below.

Indicative course timetable information: Domestic full-time students will study four days per week (four days of workshop and scheduled e-learning tasks), 9.30am - 3.30pm*

*Subject to change

This industry-focused diploma will prepare you for a rewarding and varied career in children's services. With this nationally recognised qualification, you'll be able to work at a high level in early-childhood education and care. You'll be confident to work in roles that require designing and developing curriculum and supervising staff.

Our graduates find work in preschools, childcare centres and family-daycare centres. Potential job titles include:

• children's services coordinator
• family-daycare coordinator
• team leader or room leader in a service
• early-childhood educator
• playgroup coordinator
• assistant director of early childhood services
• early-childhood educator - team leader
• reliever in early-childhood programs
• nanny.

Demand for childcare professionals in Melbourne's west is set to remain high, with large population growth in the area. Find out about employment growth for:

• early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers (Labour Market Insights)
• childcare centre managers (Labour Market Insights).

To be awarded CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, a student must successfully complete a total of fifteen (15) units of competency, consisting of:

• Twelve (12) core units, and;
• Three (3) elective units, of which:

• two (2) must be selected from the elective units listed below, and;
• up to one (1) unit may be selected from any endorsed training package or accredited course relevant to the work outcome.

All electives chosen must support the overall integrity of the AQF level of this qualification and contribute to a valid, industry-supported vocational outcome and must be in accordance with the packaging rules specified in CHC Community Services Training Package as well as be approved by the Polytechnic.

Recognition of Prior Learning and/or Credit Transfers:Previous completion of units at the Polytechnic or any other Registered Training Organisation and/or previous attainment of skills and knowledge may be credited towards this course. Units must satisfy the completion rules of the qualification and be assessed as appropriate by the Polytechnic.

Use our credit calculator to find out how much credit you could get towards your course, based on your previous study.

You may be able to complete your qualification sooner through formal recognition of your existing skills. This is known as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

To receive RPL, we assess your previous work, education and life experiences against recognised qualifications. Applications for RPL can be made prior to enrolling.

Call us on 1300 TAFE VP (1300 823 387) to discuss RPL options with the course manager.

Before starting your application, please read through the step-by-step VU Polytechnic application process to make sure you have all the necessary documents and information ready to successfully complete your application.

Before applying, you should consider whether you also want to apply for:

• Credit transfer/Recognition of prior learning (RPL): If you have significant experience or studies elsewhere you may be eligible for credit for some units of your course and not have to undertake them.