If you love spending time with young children and are interested in child development and early learning, a career as an Early Childhood Educator could be a great fit for you. Not only is it a rewarding and exciting industry to work in, but there are also fantastic opportunities for career progression, flexible work options, and a handy source of income. Before diving into the steps you’ll need to take to become fully qualified as an Early Childhood Educator, it’s important to first understand exactly what the role entails.

What does an Early Childhood Educator do?

An Early Childhood Educator works with young children (usually aged from 6 weeks up to 6 years), helping to both care for their needs and nurture their growth and development. While responsibilities will vary depending on the setting in which you work and the specific role you’re performing, some of the key duties include:

• Helping children with day-to-day tasks (like washing hands, eating, etc)

• Supervising outdoor play

• Planning, setting up, and guiding educational activities targeting specific developmental skills

• Assessing individual children’s developmental stage and setting learning goals

• Modelling and teaching social skills

• Mediating conflict between children 

• Providing emotional support and teaching emotional regulation skills

• Teaching children communication skills

• Communicating with parents about their child’s progress and any issues that arise

More specific duties will depend on the age of the children you are working with. For example, if you’re working with infants, you will need to perform tasks like nappy changes, bottle feeds, and putting babies down for a nap. Whereas if you are working with preschoolers there would be more of an emphasis on teaching self-care skills (like empowering a child to put on their own hat and sunscreen, or get their lunchbox out by themselves) and preparation for school (for example, by teaching foundational numeracy and literacy skills.)

Where do Early Childhood Educators work?

Once you’re qualified as an Early Childhood Educator you can work at a preschool, daycare, kindergarten, or even for community or non-profit organisations. Depending on the setting, you can choose from full-time roles or part-time work, opting for either a permanent position or something more casual with more flexibility. At Z Staffing, for example, educators can choose casual shifts that suit their schedules and lifestyles, at locations convenient to them. 

How do I become an Early Childhood Educator in Australia?

To become a fully qualified Early Childcare Educator working in the industry, there are a number of steps you’ll need to take.

1. Enrol in an accredited course

The fastest way to become a qualified Early Childhood Educator is to complete a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, which can take between 6-18 months to complete. Alternatively, you can choose a 2-year Diploma or a Bachelor's or Master’s Degree. We’re partnering with Foundation Education to offer $500 off this course for a limited time, so you can kickstart your career in childcare for less.

2. Complete your work placement

Regardless of which course you choose, you will need to complete a work placement as part of your qualification. This will involve working in an Early Childhood Education setting, where you will be able to get hands-on experience and learn directly from a supervisor who will be observing your work and providing you with guidance to grow and develop your skills. The number of hours of work placement you must complete will depend on which course you are studying. For a Certificate III, you’ll need to complete 120 hours, whereas a Diploma course can require as many as 500 or more hours of work placement.

3. Get a Working with Children Check

Before you start work as an Early Childhood Educator (and in some cases, even before you start studying), you’ll need to obtain a Working with Children Check. This is a standard screening that includes a Police Check, in order to ensure you have no past offences that would prevent you from being able to work with children.

4. Consider getting a First Aid Certificate

While it is not essential to hold a First Aid Certificate to work in childcare, it is considered highly desirable by most employers and as an educator, you will likely want to have the skills to act if there is an emergency while you’re at work. Most First Aid Certificates are valid for a number of years (usually three), so it’s worth getting one as soon as possible.

5. Apply for jobs

Once you are fully qualified, it’s time to start looking for work. If you’re looking for a permanent role, you can either search online or approach preschools or centres in your area directly to ask if they have any vacancies. If you’re looking for casual work as an Early Childhood Educator, you can apply to join the Z Staffing community of educators. Z Staffing offers you the option to select your own availability, offering you casual shifts at centres near you that suit your schedule. You’ll get an alert any time a shift becomes available and you can choose to either accept or decline. Once you accept, the shift is confirmed and you’re ready to go. 

Working as a casual Early Childhood Educator

Early Childhood Education can be a great industry to work in if you require flexible shifts and a good pay rate. The Z Staffing community of educators can choose exactly when they want to work throughout the week, and they also receive 10% above the award rate. Z Staffing is the one-stop shop for casual educators looking for consistent, convenient shifts at some of Australia’s most respected centres.. Find out more here.