Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

The Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care is a practical qualification for people who want to work with children from birth to five years in Australian early learning services. You learn how to plan and run a play-based curriculum, observe and document children's learning, keep them safe, and work with families and other educators. The course covers child development, health and safety, legal and ethical requirements, and the National Quality Framework that every Australian early childhood service follows.

How the course is structured

This diploma runs for 1.5 years. Australian vocational qualifications like this are built from units of competency, each with a set number of credit points. You complete a mix of theory units and practical units, and you need to pass all of them to graduate. Assessment is competency-based: you either demonstrate the skill or you don't, and you get another go if you need it.

Work placement is a core part of the diploma. You spend time in a registered early childhood service, supervised by qualified educators, working directly with children. That placement is where most students say the real learning happens. You practise setting up experiences, guiding behaviour, talking with families, and keeping records. Canberra College of Management and Technology arranges or approves placements, and you should confirm the exact number of hours and how placements are organised on the official page.

What you actually study and the skills you build

You study child development, curriculum planning, observation and assessment, inclusion and diversity, health and safety, and workplace communication. You learn to design experiences that match each child's stage and interests, document their progress against the Early Years Learning Framework, and respond to children who need extra support. You also learn the compliance side: regulations, duty of care, child protection, and workplace health and safety.

By the end, you can run a room, plan a week of learning experiences, work in a team, and communicate with families. Those are the skills employers in Australian early childhood services look for.

Who this course suits

This diploma suits people who want to work directly with young children and are ready for a hands-on, workplace-based qualification. It is a common pathway for school leavers, career changers, and people already working in the sector who want a formal qualification. It also gives you a route into further study, such as a bachelor degree in early childhood education, with credit for your diploma units.

If you are an international student, you will need to meet the English requirement published by the college. For this course, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common standard, and TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the college's own English programmes are accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. While you study, your visa usually allows 48 hours of work per fortnight. After you graduate, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may let you stay and work in Australia, depending on your circumstances. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Always check the official page for the current details.

• Early childhood educator in long day care, preschool, or occasional care services
• Room leader or lead educator in an early learning centre
• Family day care educator running your own approved home-based service
• Outside school hours care educator in before and after school programmes
• Inclusion support educator working with children who need additional assistance
• Education support worker in kindergartens and community programmes

These roles are found across Australia in private and community-owned early learning centres, preschools, family day care schemes, and school-aged care services. The sector is regulated under the National Quality Framework, so employers look for people who hold a recognised diploma and can work within the national regulations and learning frameworks.