CHC30113 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care

This course is 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(opens in a new tab) closest to you.

Work placement is a requirement for this course

Work placement is mandatory for completion of this course. SM TAFE will arrange a suitable work placement within industry for you which will involve your attendance at a workplace.

[Other instructions will follow for work placement such as gaining police clearance etc]

Attendance in class

This is a full-time course. You will need to attend approximately 740 hours of class, over 4 days a week for the first 10 weeks then one day of class and 4 days of placement for a further 10 weeks.

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

240 hours of work placement 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 Term 2. 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 or an eBook or text is required.

• Students must be proficient in written and spoken English, as the course requires communication with other students, lecturers and workers/clients in industry.
• Students must have the ability to set aside between four and five days per week for attendance at classes, work placement and study.
• Students will be required to provide personal care such as nappy changing or toileting for babies and children.
• 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.

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.