The content on this page is available as a downloadable pdf - Childhood Education and Care Booklet. Contact workforce@dewr.gov.au for hard copies.
Types of entry-level work
You could work in any of the following services:
- long day care centres educate and care for children aged birth to school age
- outside school hours care services educate and care for children from school age to 13 years of age
- registered family day care operators educate and care for small groups of children in their homes
- in-home care services assist parents or carers who can’t use other mainstream services.
There are a range of different entry-level roles available including:
- educators (traineeships are available)
- early childhood teachers.
Find out about the pay, projected growth, employment locations, skills and interests of people working as:
Training for entry-level work
For most childhood education and care services, workers need to hold or be working towards an approved qualification.
Outside school hours care is an exception. Requirements differ by state and territory. Check with employers in your area to find out more about local requirements for this role.
You can find subsidised training on the Your Career website. Try searching for courses using these keywords:
- early childhood
- school based.
You can also compete your qualification as a traineeship.
The ACECQA website contains a list of early childhood qualifications approved by government and industry.
You can check your literacy and numeracy skills for work in Early Childhood Education and Care Quiz.
Possible career paths
- You can begin your career as an educator to get skills and experience in an entry-level role. Once you’ve done your Certificate III you could then do a Diploma.
- With a Diploma you could choose to work across a variety of services as:
- a team leader
- educational leader
- service director
- service co-ordinator.
- You can also do a four-year degree in early childhood education and care. As an early childhood teacher, you can work in a variety of settings as:
- an educational leader
- teacher
- a director.
The type of person who suits this work
This is a value-based sector. Employers look for people that match their values. This work suits people who:
- can speak to people of all ages in a way that they understand
- have good listening skills
- work well as part of a team
- show respect to people from diverse backgrounds
- want to understand the needs of children, families, and team members
- have good awareness of their surroundings
- can adjust to changing priorities
- want to support the learning and development of children
- can follow instructions
- are positive and motivated
- are energetic and mobile
- have good basic literacy and numeracy
- enjoy learning.
You’ll need to complete these background checks before doing this work. See the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) website for information about:
Employers are looking for staff who are the ‘right fit’ for their service. They like to know about you as a person. The following could be useful:
- an interest in performing arts, visual arts, cooking, crafts, reading, creative writing, sports or games
- participation in community groups for sport, multicultural practices or outdoor recreation
- speaking languages other than English.
Applying for jobs
Get free coaching on writing job applications, doing interviews and preparing for work:
Watch the following video to hear common interview questions for an educator position: Interview Practice – Early Childhood.
Links to job vacancies
Go to the Workforce Australia Online website and search for educator.
Find traineeships on apprenticeship network provider jobs boards.
You can search for National Quality Framework-approved employers using the following online tools. You can narrow down your search to find service providers in your suburb or postcode:
