Early Childhood Education and Care is an expanding sector for those with a passion for the care and education of young children up to the age of 5 years. The sector is demanding higher qualifications and training from educators to ensure consistently high standards of education and care for children placed in these services. This can be achieved by completing the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.
You'll learn how to interact and foster the development of the children while working within legal requirements and ensuring the children's health and safety are not at risk.
As part of this qualification you will undertake a work placement where you will be able to apply the skills and knowledge you have learned.
You will work closely with children from different backgrounds and cultures and provide care and support for them in various child care situations.
90% of surveyed students were highly satisfied with this course.
- learn to interact and foster the development of young children
- work within legal requirements
- ensure children's health and safety is prioritised
- work with children of different backgrounds and cultures
- provide support to children in different child care environments
- undertake work placement to apply the practical skills and knowledge you have learned
- first aid in an educational and care setting
- provide care for babies, toddlers and children
- use an approved learning framework and information about children to inform and guide practice
In order to make an informed choice about the suitability of this course, you must take into account the essential skills and knowledge required to undertake this study.
- excellent observational skills - to be able to identify changes in behaviour, abilities and environment
- good communication skills to liaise/work with a range of people
- good listening and writing skills
- be able to deal with physical demands of manual tasks. A good fitness level to be able to lift children and child care equipment
- basic problem solving skills and the ability to respond to immediate safety risks
- Tolerance, patience and the willingness to work with people from different backgrounds and cultures
Our Informed Choices Guide - Early Childhood Education and Care - PDF download (332 KB) (PDF document) lists the skills and attributes necessary to study and work in this field.
This course is FREE from 1 January 2023. The course fees are 100 per cent subsidised by the WA State Government for WA residents.
Some eligibility conditions apply for the free training, and other fees may apply for some courses. Please see the FAQs on our Skills Ready page for further information.
This course requires a working with children check prior to work placement. See the important information tab for instructions.
| School Leaver | Non-School Leaver | AQF |
|---|---|---|
| OLNA or NAPLAN 9 Band 8 | C Grades in Year 10 English and Maths or equivalent | Certificate I or Certificate II |
- Students must be at least 16 years of age to commence this course
- Students are required to obtain a Working with Children Check before attending work placement
This course is also available as a traineeship.
Entrance requirements for traineeships
You must be employed in a training contract by an appropriate organisation to study an apprenticeship or traineeship.
In a traineeship you also gain hands-on skills and work experience, and improve your employment prospects, while earning a wage. On successful completion you will gain a nationally recognised qualification which can lead to rewarding career options. The difference between a traineeship and an apprenticeship is that a traineeship can be either a full time or part time employment based training arrangement, usually for a nominal duration of 12 months or more, generally in a non-trade related area.
To find out how to arrange a traineeship and study at South Metropolitan TAFE, please contact the Jobs and Skills Centre closest to you.
On campus delivery
This course is equivalent to:
- 3 days Stage 1 Full time
- 2 days stage 2 full time
- 2 days stage 1 & 2 part-time
- 2 days stage 3 part-time
- two semesters full time or three semesters part-time
- this includes in class time and work placement (see work placement tab for details)
At-home study
As well as the in-class component, you will need to complete approximately 10 hours of additional study each week outside of class hours, including private study, assignment preparation, and research.
You will need to have the basic technical requirements for at-home study. If you don’t have access to a computer and WiFi at home, we recommend using our library computers during library hours.
Students will be expected to access to online learning resources with either a laptop or an iPad. The purchase or an eBook or text is required.
Work placement
160 hours of work placement each semester is mandatory for completion of this course. SM TAFE will arrange a suitable work placement within industry for you. This can be achieved by attending one day per week of class and 4 days per week of work placement in second term of each semester.
In order to undertake mandatory work placement, you must obtain a Working with Children Check (WWCC). This form will be issued and completed at your orientation.
Please be aware that industries and employers have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic which has meant that some work placements have been cancelled, put on hold or student places significantly reduced. While every effort is being made to work with our industry partners to secure work placements during this unprecedented time, there may be delays in students being placed. As a result of these delays some students may take longer than the expected time to complete their course. Lecturing staff will keep all students up to date and will inform students if this may affect them and cause a delay in finishing their course.
What you need for your first day of class
On your first day you should bring your SM TAFE confirmation enrolment receipt, your student ID and stationery (pen and notepad).
Students will be expected to access to online learning resources with either a laptop or an iPad. The purchase of an eBook or text is required at the expense of the student.
Online and on campus study option
For our online and on campus study option, students will be expected to access online resources and attend occasional Saturday workshops at Thornlie campus or Tuesday afternoon workshops at Rockingham campus. This is in collaboration between student/lecturer.
To study online and on campus, you should be prepared to commit to independent study and to attend our campuses. To help you understand what it takes to study online and on campus at SM TAFE, download our info pack below.
Online and on campus study info pack (337 KB) (PDF document - opens in a new tab)
Online and on campus work placement
For those using our online and on campus study option, a work placement of 2 days within a Perth metropolitan organisation is required.
160 hours of work placement each semester is mandatory for completion of this course. SM TAFE will arrange a suitable work placement within industry for you. Work placement must be within a regulated childcare service.
In order to undertake mandatory work placement, you must obtain a Working with Children Check (WWCC). This form will be issued and completed at your orientation.
Please be aware that industries and employers have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic which has meant that some work placements have been cancelled, put on hold or student places significantly reduced. While every effort is being made to work with our industry partners to secure work placements during this unprecedented time, there may be delays in students being placed. As a result of these delays some students may take longer than the expected time to complete their course. Lecturing staff will keep all students up to date and will inform students if this may affect them and cause a delay in finishing their course.
- Students must be proficient in written and spoken English, as the course requires communication with other students, lecturers and workers/clients in industry. To complete this course students must successfully complete an LLN test to ascertain the learner needs.
- There is an online reading component to this course and as such, you must be computer literate and have available computer and internet access.
- A Working with Children Check (WWCC) must be obtained prior to attending the mandatory work placement. This form will be issued and completed at your orientation.
- Students must complete a First Aid Course which will be held on a variety of days with possible Saturdays.
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Study outside of class hours, including private study, assignment preparation, and research will be required to successfully complete your course.
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Bring your own device (BYOD) is encouraged but not essential.
If you don’t have access to a computer and WiFi at home, we recommend using our library computers during library hours.
Please note this list should be used as a guide only as job titles and qualification requirements may vary between organisations.
SM TAFE actively promotes the employment availability of course graduates to key industry partners and organisations. We also seek expressions of interest from organisations for the placement of our students into work experience. In addition, this course involves work placement, giving you further opportunity to develop relationships with potential employers. We endeavour to assist students into a career pathway, but please be aware that employment is not guaranteed by us.
To access free career planning and job search assistance, visit the Jobs and Skills Centres page.
Select your preferred campus and apply
Click on your preferred campus and study mode below to get started with your application.
All year round
Rockingham - Traineeship
| When | All year round |
| Where | Rockingham |
| How |
Indicative fees and charges
The fees quoted are estimates only and are for all units in the course for students enrolling on a full-time basis. If you're a student that has successfully completed a lower-level qualification that is a prerequisite for this course, you'll only pay for the units that you need to enrol in to complete this course. Please view the full list of fee disclaimers.
Semester 1, 2023
Armadale - Part time - On Campus
| Duration | 3 Semesters |
| When | Semester 1, 2023 |
| Where | Armadale |
| How | On Campus |
Mandurah - Part time - On Campus
| Duration | 3 Semesters |
| When | Semester 1, 2023 |
| Where | Mandurah |
| How | On Campus |
Rockingham - Part time - On Campus
| Duration | 3 Semesters |
| When | Semester 1, 2023 |
| Where | Rockingham |
| How | On Campus |
Thornlie - Part time - On Campus
| Duration | 3 Semesters |
| When | Semester 1, 2023 |
| Where | Thornlie |
| How | On Campus |
Mandurah - Online and On Campus
| Duration | 3 Semesters |
| When | Semester 1, 2023 |
| Where | Mandurah |
| How | Online and On Campus |
Rockingham - Online and On Campus
| Duration | 3 Semesters |
| When | Semester 1, 2023 |
| Where | Rockingham |
| How | Online and On Campus |
Thornlie - Online and On Campus
| Duration | 3 Semesters |
| When | Semester 1, 2023 |
| Where | Thornlie |
| How | Online and On Campus |
Armadale - Full time - On Campus
| Duration | 2 Semesters |
| When | Semester 1, 2023 |
| Where | Armadale |
| How | On Campus |
Murdoch - Full time - On Campus
| Duration | 2 Semesters |
| When | Semester 1, 2023 |
| Where | Murdoch |
| How | On Campus |
Mandurah - Full time - On Campus
| Duration | 2 Semesters |
| When | Semester 1, 2023 |
| Where | Mandurah |
| How | On Campus |
Rockingham - Full time - On Campus
| Duration | 2 Semesters |
| When | Semester 1, 2023 |
| Where | Rockingham |
| How | On Campus |
Thornlie - Full time - On Campus
| Duration | 2 Semesters |
| When | Semester 1, 2023 |
| Where | Thornlie |
| How | On Campus |
Semester 2, 2023
Thornlie - Part time - On Campus
| Duration | 3 Semesters |
| When | Semester 2, 2023 |
| Where | Thornlie |
| How | On Campus |
Mandurah - Online and On Campus
| Duration | 3 Semesters |
| When | Semester 2, 2023 |
| Where | Mandurah |
| How | Online and On Campus |
Rockingham - Online and On Campus
| Duration | 3 Semesters |
| When | Semester 2, 2023 |
| Where | Rockingham |
| How | Online and On Campus |
Thornlie - Online and On Campus
| Duration | 3 Semesters |
| When | Semester 2, 2023 |
| Where | Thornlie |
| How | Online and On Campus |
Armadale - Full time - On Campus
| Duration | 2 Semesters |
| When | Semester 2, 2023 |
| Where | Armadale |
| How | On Campus |
Murdoch - Full time - On Campus
| Duration | 2 Semesters |
| When | Semester 2, 2023 |
| Where | Murdoch |
| How | On Campus |
Mandurah - Full time - On Campus
| Duration | 2 Semesters |
| When | Semester 2, 2023 |
| Where | Mandurah |
| How | On Campus |
Rockingham - Full time - On Campus
| Duration | 2 Semesters |
| When | Semester 2, 2023 |
| Where | Rockingham |
| How | On Campus |
Thornlie - Full time - On Campus
| Duration | 2 Semesters |
| When | Semester 2, 2023 |
| Where | Thornlie |
| How | On Campus |
Rockingham - Part time - On Campus
| Duration | 3 Semesters |
| When | Semester 2, 2023 |
| Where | Rockingham |
| How | On Campus |