With the ‘both parents working’ families now ever present in the wider community in Australia there has been a significant rise in recent years of the number of children accessing early childhood care. With that increased demand, has also been a drive for higher standards of training and education of those looking after children in the thousands of childcare centres dotted around our large nation.
The growth in the industry, combined with higher standards has led to legislative change and beginning in 2014, all childcare providers working in centre-based environments in Australia will be required to hold or be working toward the nationally-recognised Certificate III in children’s services. About 30,000 current childcare workers don’t have the necessary certification, making Certificate III an in-demand educational credential.
Certificate III in children’s services help aspiring or existing non qualified staff in the industry receive core training on how to develop, implement and deliver childcare within a childcare centre.
What is Certificate III?
Certificate III provides childcare providers with practical knowledge that can help them provide first-rate care to Australia’s children. All parents want the best for their children, and with a Certificate III, this ensures not only legal compliance with government regulation but also the best and most up to date childcare curriculum is what they’re getting. Some of the subjects covered include:
- The basics of children’s health, safety, development, and first aid.
- Child management techniques, including how to provide a nurturing social and psychological environment for developing children. Students will also learn about age-appropriate behaviour as children grow and develop.
- Keys for helping children develop strong language and communication skills.
- The basics of children’s physical development, including what to do to foster strong development.
- How to care for young babies.
Responsibilities that come with working in Childcare
Certificate III is the mandatory level of training childcare workers must possess in order to grow a successful career in this field. The course is considered as the beginning point, giving aspiring professionals a better understanding of the job.
Working as a childcare has a lot of responsibilities. After all, caring for young children is demanding and requires a high level of focus and care.
Training Courses – What to look for!
Before enrolling for a Certificate III in Children’s Services, students should check the credentials of the training facility/college they are looking to enrol in and the delivery options for learning. While some organisations or training institutes may offer a single Certificate III package, others may offer several packages. Students may opt for online or traditional learning courses.
Certificate III in Children’s Services helps aspiring childcare workers in Australia acquire a wide range of skills that are necessary to give young children the best start in life. Childcare is an extremely rewarding career but the choices on how to get into the industry and learn the ‘craft’ of caring for children requires much thought.
About Author: Letitia Anderson has served the Childcare industry for more than 20 years. She has worked in almost every form of childcare development including Long Day Care, Occasional Care, and Resort Care. She considers herself fortunate to have worked with 13 training centres as the Human Resource Manager and involving herself in training courses and employment programs for child care workers on Gold Coast and North Queensland. She is presently the manager of a well-known training organisation for Childcare services on the Gold Coast.
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