Childcare Course Geelong: CHC30125 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care

Four questions decide whether anyone actually enrols in a childcare course: what it costs, how long it takes, which one to pick, and what the work pays. Here they are in that order, for CHC30125, the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. The Performance College teaches it online with live Zoom classes, so a Geelong student does everything from home except 160 hours of placement. Ring 03 9008 4043 if you would rather ask than read.

The Performance College

We are a registered training organisation, RTO 46069, and a CRICOS registered provider, CRICOS 04180C. Our qualifications are nationally recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework, so the certificate travels with you.

Rekha Sehrawat founded the college in 2023, after years as a trainer and assessor watching capable students struggle for want of support rather than ability. We have 100+ domestic graduates so far.

The campus is Level 5, 398 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne CBD. The full credential list is on the Melbourne aged care course page.

What It Costs

For a domestic student the course is $2,500. Enrolment is a further $250, and placement assistance is included in both.

Instalments are monthly or quarterly. No interest, no additional charges, the fee simply divided.

Victoria funds subsidised and fee free training places at approved providers for students who meet the eligibility rules. Find out whether you qualify before you enrol anywhere, including with us. We are a fee paying provider, and the instalment plan is the reason that need not be a barrier.

How Long It Takes

6 to 9 months for a domestic student. That covers the full nationally recognised certificate, not a short course or a single unit.

Part of that window is class time and assessment. A meaningful part of it is the 160 placement hours, which have to be scheduled with a service and cannot be compressed at will.

What It Pays

We are not going to quote you an hourly rate, and you should be wary of any course page that does.

Pay in early childhood depends on your classification, your hours, whether you are casual or permanent, and who employs you. Rates also change. A single number on a marketing page is either out of date or averaged into meaninglessness, and people budget on it.

Ask a prospective employer directly, and ask what classification a new Certificate III holder starts at. That is the number that will actually apply to you.

Which Childcare Course Is Worth Doing

For getting into the sector, CHC30125 is the one. It is the recognised entry qualification and it is what a service means when a job ad asks for a Certificate III.

The Diploma sits above it and is worth doing later, once you have worked in a room and know whether you want to lead one. Starting at Diploma without floor experience is the more common mistake.

Short skill sets and single units are a different category again. When you compare options, check whether you are looking at an accredited certificate or a component of one.

Placement and the Working With Children Check

CHC30125 requires 160 hours of supervised work-based training in a regulated children’s education and care service in Australia, counted across the units that carry a workplace requirement.

A current WWCC is required before any of those hours can start. Apply for it early; it is free to have ready and it is the usual cause of a delayed placement.

We arrange the placement and have partner sites across Victoria, so you are not ringing services yourself.

Early Learning Employers in Geelong

Geelong Children’s Centre operates locally as a not for profit service, and G8 Education runs centres in the area.

Certificate III holders work across long day care, family day care, preschools, kindergartens and outside school hours care. Five different environments, and most people find out which suits them during placement rather than before it.

Studying From Geelong

Live Zoom classes are timetabled sessions with a trainer present, not recordings to work through alone. In early childhood that matters, because much of the assessment turns on how you would respond to a child in a specific moment, and those are conversations.

You will need a computer and a connection that will hold a video class end to end.

International students study on campus in the Melbourne CBD, and their intakes fall on set dates.

More from The Performance College

Common Questions

What do I need to enrol?

18 or over when the course begins, plus Year 12 or an equivalent, or a 12 month qualification completed in English. Everyone sits a short language, literacy and numeracy assessment first. International students also need IELTS 6.0 or an accepted equivalent.

Can I do it while working?

The classes are timetabled and online, so most people can. Placement is the part that needs arranging around existing commitments.

Do I ever travel to Melbourne?

Not for teaching. Only placement is in person.

Areas We Serve

Other Services We Provide in Geelong

Your Next Move

Of the four questions this page opened with, the pay one is the only one we would not put a number against, and that was deliberate. The other three are fixed figures you can hold us to.

Ring 03 9008 4043 or email info@tpc.edu.au. Domestic study is online with a new intake every month except December, so your start date is never far away. We reply within 24 hours, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

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