Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (Childrens Services)

The Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care is a one-year qualification for people who want to work directly with children from birth to five years in Australian early learning services. You'll learn how to plan and run a play-based curriculum, observe and document children's learning against the Early Years Learning Framework, support children's health, safety and wellbeing, and work with families and communities. Expect units on child development, curriculum planning, inclusion and diversity, legal and ethical requirements, and workplace health and safety.

The diploma is delivered over one year, usually across two or three study periods depending on the provider's calendar. It's a competency-based qualification, so you complete a set number of units of competency rather than accumulating credit points toward a degree. Assessment is practical: you'll build a portfolio of observations, learning stories and curriculum plans, and you'll be assessed in a real service as well as in the classroom. A supervised work placement is a mandatory part of the diploma, typically around 240 hours, where you work alongside educators in a long day care centre, preschool or family day care setting.

The skills you take away are concrete. You'll be able to design and evaluate learning experiences, guide children's behaviour positively, identify signs of risk or developmental delay, communicate with families from different backgrounds, and follow the National Quality Framework and the National Quality Standard. You'll also learn to work within a team, keep accurate records, and meet the regulatory and duty-of-care obligations that come with working with young children.

This course suits people who want to start working in early childhood education reasonably quickly, career changers, and existing educators who hold a Certificate III and want to move into a room leader or lead educator role. It's also a pathway toward a bachelor degree in early childhood education if you later want to become an early childhood teacher. English proficiency is required for international applicants, generally IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the provider's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. While studying, Student visa holders can work up to 48 hours per fortnight, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Always confirm entry requirements, placement arrangements, fees and intake dates on the official CRICOS page and with Mastery Institute Australia.

• 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
• Outside school hours care assistant or coordinator
• Inclusion support assistant in early intervention settings
• Nanny or in-home child carer

These roles are found across the Australian early childhood education and care sector, including not-for-profit community services, private long day care providers, local government preschools and family day care schemes. The diploma also provides a pathway into a bachelor degree in early childhood education for those who want to become registered early childhood teachers.