Get fee-free training in this rewarding and growing industry
Early childhood education and care remains a growth sector. This means excellent job prospects for qualified individuals who are dedicated to caring for children and supporting their development and wellbeing.
To work in this sector you need to complete (or be currently enrolled in) either a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, or a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care.
Fee-free training in early childhood education and care is available to any eligible NSW resident, regardless of age, employment status or prior qualifications.
If you have the passion, drive, and a willingness to succeed in the early childhood education and care sector, now is the perfect time to enrol.
Training is fully funded by the NSW and Commonwealth governments.
- Many courses and locations are available across NSW, including online.
- New employees can start working in the sector and gain experience and skills whilst they study fee-free.
- Existing employees in the early childhood education and care sector can upgrade their qualifications fee-free.
Benefits for new and existing childcare staff
For new staff:
- Access to government-subsidised full and part qualification courses
- See children become confident, independent learners. Working in the sector could be the realisation of a long-awaited dream!
- Early childhood education and care staff often must perform a variety of tasks, including planning activities, supervising play and facilitating learning tasks. No two days will ever be the same!
- Flexible working hours with opportunities for split shifts and early/later starts
- Incredibly diverse sector, allowing qualified staff to work in a wide variety of roles and find work well-suited to them
- Watching children reach their developmental milestones can bring joy beyond words. Yes, the work is tough, but the pay offs are huge.
For existing staff:
- Access to government-subsidised full and part qualification courses
- Improved job prospects, better pay and conditions
- Up-to-date knowledge and skills meaning better quality of care for children
- Increased confidence and capability in the workplace
- Improved career progression into leadership positions, e.g., early childhood educator to centre manager.
- Improve the skills base of early childhood education and care, which ultimately means better pay and working conditions for everyone.
Possible career pathways to explore
Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
- Early childhood educator
- Kindergarten assistant
- Family day care educator
- Out of school care educator or assistant
- Nanny/in-home carer
Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
- Early childhood educator
- Kindergarten assistant
- Family day care educator
- Room leader/lead educator
- Nanny/in-home carer
- Childcare centre manager
- Assistant director
- Centre director
You may be able to study a fee-free course in early childhood education and care if you are:
- 15 years old or over
- no longer at school
- living or working in NSW
- an Australian citizen, permanent resident, humanitarian visa holder or New Zealand citizen.
You do not have to be working in the early childhood education and care sector or have previous industry experience to access fee-free full qualifications in early childhood education and care.
In addition, your eligibility is not affected if you have completed a vocational education and training (VET) course, including a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship, as part of your high school education.
No matter who you are, Skills NSW makes it easier to access the training you need to enter this rewarding sector.
You may qualify for a range of discounts including fully-subsidised courses
Answer a few questions so we can calculate your course fees
Educators voice the benefits of early childhood education
What happens in the early years of a child’s life has been shown to have an impact throughout their entire life, across all phases of life and between generations. Early childhood educators are highly skilled professionals who play a vital role in the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of children.
There has never been a better time to start your career in early childhood education and care. The sector is growing, with many opportunities to develop a professionally rewarding career.
© Early Childhood Education Directorate, NSW Department of Education used with permission
- I like painting and doing all of the creating stuff.
- I like stories because they have different pictures in them.
- I like playing with the pillow.
- Going to the sand pit.
- Playing with lego.
- We have an opportunity at this age to be able to ignite their passion for learning so that when they go to school, the foundation is laid and they already want to know things, they already want to be engaged in education.
- Look how big this is Hiro.
- Yeah.
- My favourite friends are Isaac and Imogen.
- Rosalyn and Ayushi.
- I play with Niro and Remy.
- I would definitely say the educators are a bit like extended family. I feel like we have really open dialogue with them. We have really nice conversations.
- I would tell them you should go to preschool instead of staying home. 'Cause you're gonna make new friends!
Interested in short courses?
You can start with a short course (or part qualification) offering new skill sets and a license to fast track your career. Short courses are on nationally accredited subjects and are offered at TAFE NSW, community and private colleges. They can be used as a starting point to complete a full qualification at a later stage.
