Welcome to CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care!
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 and in out of school hours care (OOSHC) services.
To achieve this qualification, you must have completed a total of 200 hours of work in a regulated children’s education and care service in Australia as detailed in the Assessment Requirements of units of competency. The total number of hours may be applied collectively across all units of competency that include the requirement for workplace hours.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this qualification at the time of publication.
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.
For further details on how to prepare for and complete your work placement refer to the 'Structured Workplace Learning and Assessment' section below.
The following table lists and describes the modules and the units that you will be undertaking as a part of this course. Before getting started with each module, it is important to establish regular time each week dedicated to your studies.
Having a set routine is the best way to ensure you are successful in completing your qualification.
To assist you in doing so, a Study Plan template is a planning tool that has been developed for this qualification.
Once you have downloaded this Study Plan, complete it and save it onto your computer. Please refer to the Orientation module, under subtopic 1.6.4, 'Self-Paced Learning' for more information on how to complete the Study Plan.
| Module nr | Module name | Unit Code and Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | |||
| 0 | Welcome to the children’s education and care sector |
N/A |
This module stands as an introduction to the sector. The module also hosts information about the Little.ly Early Learning Centre which is a fictitious service providing education and care for children 0-5 years of age. |
| 1 |
Working in Early Childhood Education and Care |
CHCECE055 Meet legal and ethical obligations in children’s education and care CHCECE056 Work effectively in children’s education and care |
This module clusters two units to provide a comprehensive overview of the legal and ethical requirements of working in the sector. This includes the ability to recognise potential and actual examples of non-compliance with regulatory requirements and contribute to the continuous improvement of practice. You will also learn about skills and knowledge required to work in a children’s education and care context using effective communication and knowledge of job roles, responsibilities and service procedures to complete daily work activities. |
| 2 |
Identify and respond to children and young people at risk |
CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk |
In this module, you will learn about the skills and knowledge required to support and protect children and young people who are at risk of harm. This work occurs within legislative and policy frameworks and carries a duty of care responsibility. |
| 3 |
Workplace health and safety |
HLTWHS001 Participate in workplace health and safety |
In this module, you will learn about the skills and knowledge required for educators to participate in safe work practices to ensure their own health and safety, and that of others. |
| 4 |
Food safety |
HLTFSE001 Follow basic food safety practices |
In this module, you will learn about how to comply with personal hygiene, maintain food safety, contribute to the cleanliness of food handling areas and dispose of food in an early childhood education and care context. |
| 5 |
Structured Workplace Learning and Assessment (SWLA) – Group 1 |
This module is dedicated to the information related to the Work Placement for units within Group 1. You are required to complete 30 hours of Work Placement, then submit Work Placement-related assessments and other relevant documents here. | |
| Group 2 | |||
| 6 |
Inclusion and diversity |
CHCECE030 Support inclusion and diversity CHCECE054 Encourage understanding of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultures |
This module clusters two units that require you to reflect on and understand the impact of your own values and biases. Throughout the module and related work placement you will need to demonstrate respect for inclusion and diversity, and support children’s understanding of inclusive principles and behaviours. In this module, you will also learn about different perspectives on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultures. You will develop an understanding of the local and broader cultural contexts, and use the identified information to embed culturally appropriate experiences, interactions, behaviours and physical environments into daily practice with children. |
| 7 |
Environmentally sustainable work practices |
BSBSUS411 Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices |
In this module, you will learn about the skills and knowledge required to analyse and implement improvements to the environmental sustainability of work practices and monitor their effectiveness. |
| 8 |
Connect with the natural environment |
CHCECE037 Support children to connect with the natural environment |
In this module, you will learn about how to support and encourage children’s connection with the natural environment. |
| 9 | Care and nurturing |
CHCECE031 Support children’s health, safety and wellbeing* CHCECE032 Nurture babies and toddlers* |
In this clustered module compounding two units, you will learn about how to support and promote children’s health, safety and wellbeing in relation to physical activity, healthy eating, sleep, rest and relaxation and individual medical requirements. You will also learn about developing relationships with babies and toddlers and their families, and attending to the specific physical and emotional needs of babies and toddlers from birth to 23 months. Throughout the module, you will learn about the importance of following individualised care routines for sleep, feeding and toileting. Both units within the module are linked to 160 hours of Work Placement. |
| 10 |
Develop positive and respectful relationships with children |
CHCECE033 Develop positive and respectful relationships with children* |
In this module, you will learn about how to communicate and interact respectfully with children and how to guide their behaviours in ways that support their agency, positive sense of self and self-regulation. The unit is linked to 160 hours of Work Placement. |
| 11 |
Supporting Children’s Development |
CHCECE034 Use an approved learning framework to guide practice CHCECE035 Support the holistic learning and development of children* CHCECE036 Provide experiences to support children’s play and learning* CHCECE038 Observe children to inform practice |
This module clusters four units and focuses on how to support the development of children's development. This includes the observation of children to provide the basis of learning experiences that will support their holistic development, guided by an approved learning framework. The units CHCECE035 Support the holistic learning and development of children and CHCECE036 Provide experiences to support children’s play and learning are linked to 160 hours of Work Placement. |
| 12 |
First Aid |
HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting** |
You will be required to complete the unit HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting externally and submit the awarded transcript to obtain credit transfer (CT) for the successful completion of this unit. |
| 13 |
Structured Workplace Learning and Assessment (SWLA) – Group 2 |
This module is dedicated to the information related to the Work Placement for units within Group 2. You are required to complete 170 hours of Work Placement, then submit Work Placement-related assessments and other relevant documents here. As the units CHCECE031 Support children’s health, safety and wellbeing, CHCECE032 Nurture babies and toddlers, CHCECE033 Develop positive and respectful relationships with children, CHCECE035 Support the holistic learning and development of children and CHCECE036 Provide experiences to support children’s play and learning are linked to the completion of 160 hours of Work Placement, you will be deemed 'Competent' for these units only upon the completion of the required Work Placement hours, at the end of the course. |
|
*Units are linked to 160 hours of Work Placement. You will be deemed 'Competent' only upon the completion of the 160 hours of Work Placement, at the end of the course.
**You will be required to complete the unit HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting externally and submit the awarded transcript to obtain credit transfer (CT) for the successful completion of this unit in Module 12. Note, while the First Aid certificate is valid for 3 years from completion, the CPR component of the training expires after one year from completion. It is your responsibility to maintain the currency of your First Aid Certificate.
"Early childhood education is the key to the betterment of society." - Maria Montessori
Structured Workplace Learning and Assessment
Structured Workplace Learning and Assessment (SWLA) is a compulsory part of CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, facilitating the opportunity for students to apply their skills and knowledge gained throughout the course in a workplace environment.
SWLA Hours
The Work Placement commitment is a minimum of 200 hours in total and is aligned to sixteen (16) units within the course.
Work Placement is split into two (2) groups, having one module in each group dedicated to the SWLA-related information and to the submission of the required assessments and related documents as follows:
| Group nr | Module nr | Unit code and title | SWLA hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Modules 1-4 |
CHCECE055 Meet legal and ethical obligations in children’s education and care CHCECE056 Work effectively in children’s education and care CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk HLTWHS001 Participate in workplace health and safety HLTFSE001 Follow basic food safety practices |
30 hours |
| Group 2 | Modules 6-11 |
CHCECE030 Support inclusion and diversity CHCECE054 Encourage understanding of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultures BSBSUS411 Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices CHCECE037 Support children to connect with the natural environment CHCECE031 Support children’s health, safety and wellbeing* CHCECE032 Nurture babies and toddlers* CHCECE033 Develop positive and respectful relationships with children* CHCECE034 Use an approved learning framework to guide practice CHCECE035 Support the holistic learning and development of children* CHCECE036 Provide experiences to support children’s play and learning* CHCECE038 Observe children to inform practice |
170 hours |
*Units are linked to 160 hours of Work Placement. You will be deemed 'Competent' only upon the completion of the 160 hours of Work Placement, at the end of the course.
Prepare for structured workplace learning and assessment
Prior to commencing SWLA, you must successfully complete a range of knowledge-based assessments relating to the skills and competencies that are to be applied and developed during your SWL A experience.
For further details about SWLA, please read the Student Guide to Structured Workplace Learning and Assessment document.
Before commencing SWLA 1:
- Complete the Host Organisation Approval Form, providing the required details about your workplace, its facilities and resources and the details of your proposed Workplace Supervisor. You will need to submit the form in Module 4, just before the module dedicated to SWLA 1. Make sure you submit the form as soon as Module 4 opens up, before you begin learning or complete the theory assessments, to avoid delays commencing work placement. You can find detailed information on the SWLA process, requirements and tips for how to find Host Organisation in the 'Welcome to the children's education and care sector' introductory module's Topic 1.3: SWLA Procedure and Documents. This information will also be included in Module 5, the module dedicated to SWLA 1.
- Once you have found a potential Host Organisation, provide a copy of the Supervisor Guide to Structured Workplace Learning and Assessment to your proposed Workplace Supervisor to provide comprehensive information about the requirements.
- Obtain a working with children check (WWCC), or pre-employment/child-safe screening, as per the requirements of each state/territory. You can check the requirements here.
- Provide all required documentation to the Host Organisation as per their policies and procedures. Confirm the requirements with the workplace! This may include:
- Working with children check
- National Criminal Record Check/Police Check
- Vaccination certificate against infectious diseases
- Confidentiality agreement signed.
- Ensure you have all required personal protective equipment necessary for the workplace.
For further details, read the Student Guide to Structured Workplace Learning and Assessment document that includes 'Frequently Asked Questions' for your information.
Note 1: You can find detailed information on the SWLA process, requirements and tips for how to find Host Organisation in the 'Welcome to the children's education and care sector' introductory module's Topic 1.3: SWLA Procedure and Documents.
Note 2: You can read about SWLA 2's requirements in Module 13. You will need to complete and submit the Host Organisation Approval Form in Module 13 again, regardless of whether you complete SWLA 2 in the same or a different service, to ensure the service meets SWLA 2's age-group requirements.