Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
Start a rewarding career working with young children to create brighter futures. Study the nationally recognised CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care online with flexible study options.
Course code: CHC30121
Delivery mode: Online with work placement
Course duration: 18 months
Qualification: Certificate III
Eligibility: This course is not available to international students
Nationally recognised: Yes
Awarded by: Swinburne University of Technology
Assessments
Short answer questions
Projects
Case study
Role play
Portfolio
Video and reporting
Direct observation (assessed in real time in the workplace or in a simulated situation that reflects the workplace).
This course is only offered in Victoria.
Start a rewarding career working with young children to create brighter futures with a nationally recognised Certificate III.
Study online to gain a CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care with Swinburne Open Education. Learn essential skills in areas such as how to communicate with children, support play, learning and basic development needs, provide food and basic health services including first aid and work health and safety processes.
Graduate ready to work in long day care centres, family day cares, pre-schools and kindergartens.
Maintain work/ life balance with flexible online study, allowing you to continue in a current role. Enrol to study childcare online. Work towards your Certificate III with Swinburne Open Education.
This course is only available in Victoria, Australia. It is not available to International students or students based outside of Victoria.
You will learn:
Gain the essential skills and knowledge to work in the early childhood sector
Build your technical and soft skills, including how to communicate with children, support play, learning and basic development needs
Learn basic health services including first aid and work health and safety processes
The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care is the minimum requirement to work in the early childhood sector.
Career options include:
Early childhood educator
Family daycare educator
Out of school hours care educator.
Start your career in the childcare sector
Source: Career outcome information from Your Career (Jan 2025).
Why study Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care online
The childcare Certificate III is the minimum requirement to work in early childhood.
Nationally recognised qualification.
Learn key skills in communication with children, supporting play and learning, addressing basic development needs, providing food, health services, first aid, and safety processes.
Students can go on to study a higher level course or certificate while working in the field.
Flexible online study helps maintain work/ life balance.
Study online with our world-class learning platform
Designed and delivered online so you can learn anywhere, anytime
Study on any device - desktop, tablet or mobile
Learn through regular trainer-lead online sessions and native content
Engage with your learning community through online forums and messages
Download your free online course guide
Enter your details and the Swinburne Open team will send you a free course guide with the info to get started. An Enrolment Consultant will be in touch to discuss your options and answer any questions you may have.
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Meet Your Instructor
Online course modules
Once you have enrolled in this online course, you can access our online platform and start with the first module. You will need to complete a module and then the next module becomes available to you.
This online course contains 17 online modules, which have been designed to cover the following units of competency, including 15 core units and 2 elective units. This childcare course contains an introductory module and 200 hours of Structured Work Learning and Assessment (SWLA).
Expand units below, to get an understanding of topics, objectives and time requirements.
CHCECE030 Support inclusion and diversity
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to reflect on and understand the impact of own values and biases, demonstrate respect for inclusion and diversity, and support children’s understanding of inclusive principles and behaviours.
CHCECE031 Support children's health, safety and wellbeing
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge 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.
CHCECE032 Nurture babies and toddlers
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to develop relationships with babies and toddlers and their families and attend to the specific physical and emotional needs of babies and toddlers from birth to 23 months.
CHCECE033 Develop positive and respectful relationships with children
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to communicate and interact respectfully with children and to guide their behaviours in ways that support their agency, positive sense of self and self-regulation.
CHCECE034 Use an approved learning framework to guide practice
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to source and use an approved childhood learning framework.
CHCECE035 Support the holistic learning and development of children
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge to recognise and support the interrelationship between the physical, social, emotional, cognitive and communication development of children.
CHCECE036 Provide experiences to support children's play and learning
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to set up, support and review experiences for children’s play and learning.
CHCECE037 Support children to connect with the natural environment
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to support and encourage children’s connection with the natural environment.
CHCECE038 Observe children to inform practice
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to identify and gather information about children from observation and other sources as part of acollaborative process and as a basis for curriculum planning.
CHCECE054 Encourage understanding of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples' cultures
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to identify different perspectives on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultures, 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.
CHCECE055 Meet legal and ethical obligations in children's education and care
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to identify and meet legal and ethical obligations. This includes the ability to recognise potential and actual examples of non-compliance with regulatory requirements and contribute to the continuous improvement of practice.
CHCECE056 Work effectively in children's education and care
This unit describes the performance outcomes, 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.
CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk
This unit describes 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.
HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to provide a first aid response to infants and children in line with first aidguidelines determined by the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) and other Australian national peak clinical bodies.
HLTWHS001 Participate in workplace health and safety
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required for workers to participate in safe work practices to ensure their own health and safety, and that of others.
BSBSUS411 Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to analyse and implement improvements to the environmental sustainability of work practices and monitor their effectiveness
HLTFSE001 Follow basic food safety practices
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to comply with personal hygiene, maintain food safety, contribute to cleanliness of food handling areas and dispose of food.
* Students will be required to complete HLTAID012 externally and submit the awarded transcript to obtain credit transfer (CT) for the successful completion of this unit. 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 the students’ responsibility to maintain the currency of their First Aid Certificate.
Course requirements
Online study FAQs
We understand you need to fit study around your busy life. Our online learning platform is designed with this in mind, so you can study on any device, anywhere, anytime. Here are answers to some childcare frequently asked questions.
Read more FAQs
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