Overview
Are you ready to advance your Early Childhood Education career? The Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care is designed for students ready to take the next step. This nationally recognised qualification allows you to enhance your skills and knowledge gained from CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, preparing you for early childhood education leadership roles within approved ACECQA providers such as early learning centres, occasional day care centres, or nanny positions.
Throughout this course, you will learn how to design and implement engaging curriculum within approved learning frameworks to support the well-being, learning and development of babies, toddlers and preschoolers. You will develop extensive skills to implement creative and inclusive strategies that cater to all children. Additionally, you will build leadership abilities to work in partnership with families, manage teams of educators and volunteers, and ensure operational compliance. With early childhood education work placements included in the course, you will have the valuable opportunity to apply your learning into practice in an early childhood environment and be ready to work as a confident and passionate educator ready to make a difference.
Key Information
Award | CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care |
Duration | 1 year (52 weeks) 4 terms x 10 weeks 12 weeks of holidays |
Study Mode | Classroom, Structured Study (Online), & Self-directed Learning |
Locations | Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney |
Intakes | January, April, July, October |
The CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care is a nationally recognised qualification.
Career Opportunities
Curious about what roles in the industry you can apply for upon completing your CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care? Here’s a list of career opportunities:
Early Childhood Educator
Family Day Care Educator
Occasional Care Educator
Centre Director
Educational Leader
Room Leader
Nominated Supervisor
Second in Charge/ Certified Supervisor
Study Pathways
Completing the CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care will open a study pathway into a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education with our sister company Ikon Institute of Australia.
Course Delivery and Assessment
This course is timetabled for 52 weeks, including 40 weeks of training and assessment across 4 terms of 10 weeks each, and 12 weeks of holidays. Each week, you are required to complete 20 hours of training and assessment, made up of 14 hours of weekly classroom training and 6 hours of structured study. The hours allocated to structured study may vary during work placement. An additional 10 hours per week of self-directed learning should be set aside for homework.
Training: Training takes place on campus and in early childhood education settings. Delivery methods for training on campus includes trainer presentations and demonstrations, individual tasks, case studies, research, role plays, practical demonstrations, and group work.
Assessments: You will be assessed in both simulated and real work environments. In the classroom, assessments will involve projects with role-plays, case studies, observations, and short answer questions. The assessment conditions will replicate a workplace environment for classroom-based assessments.
Units of Competency
The course is made up of 15 units of competency, consisting of 12 core and 3 elective units.
CHCECE047 Analyse information to inform children’s learning
CHCECE046 Implement strategies for the inclusion of all children
CHCECE050 Work in partnership with children’s families
CHCECE045 Foster positive and respectful interactions and behaviour in children
CHCECE041 Maintain a safe and healthy environment for children
CHCECE049 Embed environmental responsibility in service operations
CHCPRP003 Reflect and improve on own professional practice
CHCECE044 Facilitate compliance in an education and care service
CHCECE048 Plan and implement children’s education and care curriculum
CHCECE043 Nurture creativity in children
CHCPOL003 Research and apply evidence to practice
CHCECE042 Foster holistic early childhood learning, development and wellbeing
BSBSTR501 Establish innovative work environments
BSBPEF502 Develop and use emotional intelligence
BSBTWK502 Manage team effectiveness
Course Requirements and Suitability
Entry Requirements
Study Requirements
Entry Recommendations
You must meet both the academic and English language requirements.
Academic Requirements
- Completion of either: CHC30113 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, or CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.
- Completion of the Australian Year 12 or equivalent.
- You must also complete the Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) online test as per ALG’s Language, Literacy and Numeracy Requirements Factsheet.
- Be at least 18 years of age.
You can study the CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care as a package consisting of two CoEs (Confirmation of Enrolment): CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (12 months) + CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (12 months).
English Language Requirements
You must meet one of the following criteria:
- IELTS score of 6.0 (or equivalent), with no individual band score below 5.5; or
- ALG in-house English proficiency test that is equivalent to IELTS 6.0; or
- A Certificate IV level qualification (or higher) completed within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) in Australia within 2 years before starting this course; or
- Completion of the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education in Australia and in the English language within 2 years before starting this course.
Please note: If you are applying for more than one course at ALG, you will only need to complete the LLN online test once. However, students returning to studies at ALG after a significant period of time may be asked to complete the LLN online test.
For more details about the English Language Entry Requirements, please refer to the ALG English Proficiency Requirements Factsheet.
- Bring your own device: Please bring your own laptop or tablet device to theory classes as ALG does not provide these items. Refer to the BYOD Policy in the ALG Student Handbook for specific details.
- Police Check: You may be required to provide a current national police check before starting your work placement if requested by your workplace employer. You are responsible for the cost of this check, which is not included in course fees.
- Working with Children Check (WWCC): You are required to have a current and valid WWCC before your work placement begins. Information on obtaining a WWCC will be provided on Induction Day. You will need to cover any associated costs.
- Immunisations: It is recommended that you have immunisations for hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (Chickenpox) and COVID-19 vaccination.
- A strong passion for child development and care.
- Good communication skills and ability to speak, read and write in English. These skills will allow you to communicate effectively with children and their families.
- Sufficient physical capabilities as a role in the early childhood education industry involves physical tasks like lifting children, bending, and kneeling.
- Capacity to empathise and remain calm and supportive in challenging situations.
Work Placement
As a requirement of this course, you will complete 4 work placements totalling 280 hours in an early childhood education setting. This hands-on industry experience will prepare you for your future career as an early childhood educator. Working with children and fellow educators, you will develop positive relationships and enhance your communication skills.