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Childcare Diploma

Furthering Your Education

What education do I need to work in the early childhood education and care sector?

You daydream about having an amazing career that will bring you joy, give you a sense of purpose, and help you do your part to improve the world. But you also know that formal education and training are required to find roles like that in Australia. And you wonder what type of certificate or diploma you should pursue to take your career to the next level.

Tired of feeling so overwhelmed by all of your choices? Let us help you narrow it down and find the right fit for you.

At Guardian, we know that earning a childcare diploma leads to one of the most rewarding careers out there. As a matter of fact, a childcare diploma can be your ticket to providing the exceptional education and care services that families all over Australia are looking for.

But rest assured, once you earn your childcare diploma, you’re making a commitment that goes above and beyond providing basic care for children—especially when you find employment at a Guardian childcare centre near you. 

Instead, you’re entering a field where building strong relationships with children matters, and developing a partnership with families is the key to everyone’s social, emotional, and academic success.

At Guardian, we focus on the holistic development of children within our learning framework. And we provide an environment for children that is carefully designed to promote both the creativity in children and the safety of children who are enrolled in our centres.

To help you find out if being a childhood educator is your true calling, we’ve put together this guide on exactly what it means to earn your Certificate III in order to begin working at a Guardian childcare centre near you and advance your career with a childcare diploma.

Certificate III

Why should I earn my Certificate III?

At Guardian, a holistic approach to childhood development is the foundation informing every decision that we make. And a Certificate III will prepare you to deliver the high-quality education and care we’re committed to providing in all of our centres throughout Australia.

A Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care is the minimum requirement for an entry-level position within our centres.

But because your professional advancement and career goals matter to us, we provide plenty of professional development opportunities and educational support to all of our team members as part of our comprehensive benefits package—and that includes assisting you while you earn your Certificate III.

The requirements to earn your Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care to work with young children up to age 6 in Australia include:

  • 6 months to 1 year of study in the development of children
  • Courses in health and safety, nutrition, communication, care-related skills, working legally and ethically, and inclusion and diversity
  • 160 hours of work in a regulated children’s education and care service

Plus, having a Certificate III qualifies you for many childcare-related roles such as becoming a :

  • Childcare Educator
  • Family Day Care Educator
  • Nanny
  • Educational Support Staff Professional
  • Teacher Aide

Earning your Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care is proof that you have the knowledge and skills it takes to care for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years old and that you’re proficient in planning activities that encourage learning through play.

This works out well for the professionals we hire as we have an innovative, play-based curriculum at all of our centres that focuses on inspiring children, encouraging exploration, and creating a lifelong love of learning. So when you fill a position at Guardian, you can be sure that you will have access to high-quality learning materials and mentorship daily.

 

Childcare Diploma

How can I advance my career with a childcare diploma?

Many professionals love providing education and care services at Guardian so much they choose to advance their careers by obtaining a childcare diploma. 

Earning a childcare diploma in Australia means that you’re preparing yourself to take on more responsibility, lead an education and care program, supervise staff and volunteers, and enter a management role in the future.

The requirements to earn your Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care to work with young children up to age 6 in Australia include:

  • 1 to 2 years of study in the development of children
  • Courses in developing respectful relationships with children, providing care for babies, toddlers, and children, fostering the holistic development of children, health and safety, nutrition, and inclusion and diversity
  • 240 hours of work in a regulated children’s education and care service

Plus, earning a childcare diploma qualifies you for many childcare-related roles such as becoming a :

  • Centre Based Director
  • Educational Leader
  • Centre Manager
  • Assistant Educator
  • Nanny

With so many advancement opportunities to choose from, earning your childcare diploma is a step towards building the future you’ve always dreamed of in a field you love.

To help you reach all of your career aspirations, Guardian offers sponsorship and support initiatives for both diploma and degree programs. 

For eligible team members who already hold a Certificate III, our sponsorship program is designed to pay you during your on-the-job training and during your study time. So, you are able to focus on learning important new information and gaining new experience that is essential to your role.

Plus, eligible team members working on Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood degrees will receive support that includes paying off your HEC after your degree completion, flexible work arrangements to help you study, paid practicums at our childcare centres, support from mentors and peers, and networking opportunities.

Lastly, we’ve partnered with Early Childhood Australia to provide more than 60 professional development resources to our team members as well. Not only are these resources online and self-paced, but they’re also free.

So if you’re ready for a rewarding career where you get to build relationships with children and work in partnership with families, consider working at Guardian and start earning your childcare diploma today.

Ready to get started? Call us today at 1300 765 560.

Find your next job at Guardian