Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

The Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care is a two-year qualification delivered by Astral Skills Institute of Australia with Create Learn & Educate. It sits at the diploma level of the Australian Qualifications Framework, which puts it above a certificate III and below a bachelor degree. Where a bachelor degree normally runs three years full time, a diploma is a shorter, more hands-on pathway into the sector, and it is the qualification most educators hold when they work in long day care, preschool and family day care settings.

What you actually study

Coursework centres on the things you do with children every day: planning and implementing curriculum that matches each child's stage of development, observing and documenting learning, supporting children's health, safety and wellbeing, and working within the National Quality Framework and the Early Years Learning Framework. You also study child development, inclusion and diversity, working with families and communities, and the legal and ethical responsibilities that come with caring for young children. Units are delivered across the year, and each unit carries credit points that count towards the diploma. Assessment mixes written tasks with practical observation, because you cannot learn to run a room from a textbook.

Placement and practical work

Work-integrated learning is a core part of this qualification. You complete supervised professional experience in a registered early childhood service, where you take on real duties: setting up experiences, supervising meals and rest, recording observations, and contributing to programming. A registered training organisation delivering this diploma must meet the standards set by the Australian Skills Quality Authority, and the course is listed on CRICOS for international students. Placement hours are a condition of the qualification, not an optional extra, so you need to plan around them.

Who it suits

This diploma suits people who want to work directly with young children and are ready to study and work at the same time. Some students come straight from school; others are changing careers or returning to study after time away. International students should note that a Student visa allows 48 hours of work per fortnight while your course is in session, which many people use to gain paid experience in the sector alongside placement. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available depending on your circumstances and the current rules, so check with the Department of Home Affairs. English requirements are set out in the published entry criteria, and the Department of Home Affairs applies its own separate English threshold for the visa. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Confirm all details, including intake dates and placement arrangements, on the official page before you apply.

• 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 service
• Outside school hours care educator or coordinator
• Inclusion support assistant working with children who need additional help
• Nanny or in-home carer for families with young children

Employers include long day care chains, community-managed not-for-profit centres, local government children's services, preschools, family day care schemes, and school-based outside hours care programmes. The sector is one of the larger employers of Australians, and demand for qualified educators is steady across capital cities and regional areas.