Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care

Skills check

You will be invited to complete a Skills Check following your application submission, before enrolling to your studies. This helps you to decide if your course is right for you and allows us to understand your current abilities in English, Maths, as well as using Digital technology. 

If you are applying for a VET Student Loan the required levels to meet academic eligibility, as outlined by Commonwealth guidelines, is Level 4 English and Maths.

Access and instructions on how to complete the Skills Check will be emailed to you once you have submitted your application.

Read the Skills Check FAQs.

There are no formal entry requirements for this course.

Selection criteria

You must be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander as this training program has been developed specifically for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in support of equity policy in post compulsory education.

You will need to:

• attend an interview to determine your literacy and numeracy skills levels; and
• obtain a Blue Card (Working with Children Check).

Please note: TAFE Queensland wishes to warn you, as a Blue Card applicant, that it is an offence for a disqualified person to sign a Blue Card application.  For further information regarding 'disqualified' persons, please contact Blue Card Services.

Traineeship pathway
​To study a traineeship program you must be indentured as a trainee with your employer.

Employers need to be able to provide necessary human and physical resources to qualify for a trainee.

Find out more on how to become an apprentice or trainee

You must have access to a reliable internet connection to access TAFE Queensland's online learning system Connect, and a computer with up-to-date software, including Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Reader. This equipment and software is also available for use at all TAFE Queensland locations.

You will be provided with a recommended reading list and/or required textbooks during orientation or at the start of each unit. The purchase of these resources may incur additional costs, or you may be able to borrow them from the TAFE Queensland library network.

You are also required to have access to a reliable USB for assessment and resource collation during residential block attendances.

If you are not currently employed in the industry, during your course you will be required to complete Placement so you can start practising your new skills in a real-world environment. You’ll be required to work shifts determined by your Placement provider, and these can include early mornings, any day of the week, including public holidays. TAFE Queensland may be able to assist in arranging suitable Placements.

Completing Placement is compulsory, and you will be expected to manage family and work commitments in order to complete your shifts. You are required to complete 160 hours of Placement to satisfy this component of your qualification.

Blue Card
To successfully satisfy all course requirements you will be required to apply for a Blue Card (Working with Children check).

Please note: TAFE Queensland wishes to warn you, as a Blue Card applicant, that it is an offence for a disqualified person to sign a Blue Card application.  For further information regarding 'disqualified' persons, please contact Blue Card Services.

If you cannot obtain a Working with Children Check (Blue Card), you will be ineligible to undertake placement and any related assessment, which will affect your course outcome. If you think this might impact you, please speak to the relevant Vocational Placement Coordinator or a Course Teacher for further information.

Vaccination requirements
Vaccinations may be required by the owner or operator of the facility providing your placement.
These requirements will be provided to the student, prior to arrangements being made for the completion of vocational placement.

It is recommended that you undertake screening for vaccination (and meet any costs incurred) against the following Queensland Health Mandatory vaccination requirements:

• Some facilities may require COVID-19 Vaccination
• Hepatitis A and B
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) (persons born during or since 1966 who have only received one dose of the MMR vaccine should have a second dose)
• Chickenpox (if not previously infected)
• Pertussis (whooping cough -an adult booster dose)
• Influenza (annual vaccination)

You are required to attend compulsory face to face residential block training. The dates for your residential block training will be provided upon commencement of your course. To enable your attendance at residential block training, you will need to be registered with ABSTUDY.

If you are currently employed in an Early Childhood Education and Care Service, you will need to discuss your residential block release dates with your employer, to make sure you are available to attend the compulsory residential blocks.   

Please note: in addition to the above, you are also required to complete your own study each week to ensure you progress successfully through your course. Further information will be provided at the commencement of your course. 

This course is offered through RATEP ECEC sites providing students with face to face, online and teacher support throughout their qualification.  

RATEP ECEC sites throughout the state provide early childhood training at the Certificate III and Diploma levels. 

RATEP ECEC locations are as follows:

• Thursday Island and Torres Strait Outer Islands
• Bamaga/Injinoo/Umagico/New Mapoon/Seisia
• Napranum/Weipa
• Lockhart River
• Hope Vale/Cooktown
• Pormpuraaw
• Normanton
• Yarrabah
• Woorabinda
• Cherbourg