| Name | Start Date | End Date | ||
| Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care - Online |
The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC30125) is the entry-level qualification for working as an educator in long day care, preschool, family day care and outside school hours care. NCVE (RTO 90283) delivers it online anywhere in Australia, and we find and arrange your 160-hour work placement near you. It costs $2,570, or $2,056 paid up front. In NSW, Smart & Skilled may bring it down to $1,600, $240 with a concession, or nothing at all.
$2,570 fee-for-service, or $2,056 if you pay in full up front. If you live or work in NSW you may pay less through Smart & Skilled: $1,600, $240 with a concession, or nothing at all if you get a fee-free place or qualify for a fee exemption.
No. CHC30125 needs at least 160 hours in a real early childhood service, and we find and arrange it for you, anywhere in Australia. Most online providers hand you a checklist and leave you to ring around centres. We do the arranging.
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Wollongong, Nowra or regional. We arrange your placement in a service near you.
No ringing around hoping someone says yes. We have the relationships and we do the arranging.
Your paid shifts at your own centre can count towards your 160 hours.
You begin the theory straight away, at your own pace, with your trainer on the phone when you need them.
You get your Working with Children Check and do the free National Child Safety Training. We book and pay for your First Aid course.
We arrange a long day care, preschool or OSHC service near you, at times that suit you.
About 4 to 5 weeks full-time, or longer if you go part-time. Your practical skills are observed and signed off on placement.
160 hours in a real service near you, organised by us, anywhere in Australia.
A real, named trainer who picks up the phone and does one-to-one video. No helpdesk queue and no AI marking your work.
Your assessments come back fast, so you keep moving.
We book and pay for your First Aid course before placement.
$650 to start, then $120 a unit. No contract and no debt, or save $514 by paying up front.
Life gets busy. If you go quiet, we call you and help you get going again.
15 core units plus 2 electives.
CHC30125 is the current Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. It replaced CHC30121. It still has 17 units and at least 160 hours of work placement. The main change is the child protection unit: CHCPRT025 Identify and report children and young people at risk replaces the older CHCPRT001, and students now complete the National Child Safety Training before placement. Some providers still advertise CHC30121. If you enrol with NCVE, you’re studying the current qualification. See CHC30125 on training.gov.au.
It can be. If you live or work in NSW, Smart & Skilled may subsidise this qualification, so you pay $1,600, $240 with a concession, or nothing at all.
Fee-free places open in rounds, usually in January and July. Separately, some students pay nothing at any time of year, including First Nations students, young people who are unemployed and people with a disability. New-entrant trainees may also be fee-free. Use the calculator below for an estimate, and we’ll confirm your exact fee before you enrol.
And no longer at school.
Smart & Skilled is a NSW Government program.
An Australian citizen, permanent resident, New Zealand citizen or eligible humanitarian visa holder.
Fee-free places are available now for eligible NSW students — limited numbers, released each July and January. Beyond those, eligible students pay a subsidised student fee of $1,600, or $240 with a concession. Eligibility criteria apply, and we confirm your exact fee before you enrol.
Generally NSW residents aged 15 or over who have left school and are an Australian citizen, permanent resident, New Zealand citizen or eligible humanitarian visa holder. Other criteria may apply.
We confirm your Smart & Skilled eligibility at enrolment and handle the paperwork — no guesswork. Traineeship pathways may also be available.
Eligibility criteria apply. Funding is subject to NSW Government Smart & Skilled guidelines and confirmed at enrolment.
Yes. CHC30125 is a national qualification, recognised in every state and territory. If you live in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT or the Northern Territory, you study online with the same trainer support, pay the fee-for-service price of $2,570 (or $2,056 up front), and we arrange your 160-hour placement in a service near you.
Yes, in NSW. CHC30125 is a funded NSW traineeship. If you’re a new or recent hire at a centre, you earn a wage while you study, and the training is fee-free for eligible new-entrant trainees.
You’re employed and paid by the centre, and your shifts count towards your placement hours.
Smart & Skilled covers the course for eligible new-entrant trainees in NSW. We confirm eligibility before you start.
Child care is on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, so eligible employers may get the Priority Hiring Incentive.
Long day care and early learning centres.
Preschools and kindergartens.
Before and after school care and vacation care.
Care for children in a home-based service.
Work with a family in their home, with a recognised qualification behind you.
Move on to a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care and room leader roles.
Under the Children’s Services Award, the minimum rate for a Certificate III qualified educator (Level 3) is about $32.50 an hour, or around $1,234 a week full-time, from 1 July 2026. Casuals earn more per hour. Many services also pay the Australian Government’s Worker Retention Payment, a 15% increase funded to June 2028. Rates change every July, so check the current Fair Work pay guide for the Children’s Services Award (MA000120).
Yes. Under the National Quality Framework, educators in centre-based services can count towards the Certificate III requirement while they’re enrolled and actively working towards an approved qualification, which means you’ve started and you’re making satisfactory progress. Each centre applies the rules for its own service, so check with the centre. ACECQA explains the rules here.
People starting a career working with children, parents going back to work, people already working in a centre who need the qualification, nannies who want it recognised, and career changers from retail, hospitality or admin. You don’t need any experience to start. You do need to enjoy being with young children, and be ready for a Working with Children Check.
You study online at your own pace, on a laptop, tablet or phone, with a named trainer you can phone or video call. There are no set class times and no intake dates, so you can start any time. You’re assessed through online tasks, like written questions, case studies and planning activities, and through observation of your practical skills during your placement in a real service. Your assessments are marked within 72 hours, and your trainer plans your placement with you so it fits around work and family.
Live in Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, Nowra or anywhere in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven? You study online, and we arrange your placement in a local early childhood service. Our head office is at Level 3, 304 Crown Street, Wollongong, and we also have a Nowra location, so you’re dealing with a local NSW college, not a call centre interstate.
A free Unique Student Identifier, required for any nationally recognised course.
A current driver licence, photo card or passport.
Needed before your placement. We walk you through it for your state.
It isn’t a pass or fail test. It tells your trainer what support you need.
A laptop, tablet or phone to study online and upload your work.
A personal email address and mobile number, so your trainer can reach you.
On completion you’ll receive a nationally recognised Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC30125), issued by NCVE (RTO 90283) and accepted by services across Australia. See the details on training.gov.au, or read how we handle work placement. Interested in other care careers? See Cert III Individual Support for aged care and disability, or Cert III Community Services. Check your NSW price with the Smart & Skilled fee calculator.
How long does the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care take?
You have up to 12 months, and it’s self-paced, so you can finish sooner if you put in more hours. That includes your 160 hours of placement, which takes about 4 to 5 weeks full-time or longer part-time. Your assessments are marked within 72 hours, so you won’t be left waiting.
Can I study Cert 3 Childcare fully online?
Yes. All your theory is online, with a named trainer you can phone or video call. The only part that isn’t online is your 160-hour work placement in a real service, and we arrange that for you.
Do I have to find my own work placement?
No. We find and arrange your 160-hour placement in a service near you, anywhere in Australia. If you already work in a centre, your paid shifts there can count towards your hours. You’ll need a Working with Children Check before placement starts.
How many placement hours do I need, and when do I start?
At least 160 hours in a regulated children’s education and care service. You start once you’ve worked through enough of the theory, have your Working with Children Check, and have done the National Child Safety Training and your First Aid course. Your trainer plans the timing with you.
How much does Cert 3 Childcare cost?
$650 to start, which covers your enrolment and first unit, then $120 per unit. That’s $2,570 for all 17 units, or $2,056 if you pay up front. In NSW, Smart & Skilled may bring it down to $1,600, $240 with a concession, or nothing at all. Afterpay and ZipPay are available.
Is Cert 3 Childcare free in NSW?
It can be, for eligible NSW students. Fee-free places open in rounds, usually in January and July, and some people pay nothing at any time of year, like First Nations students, young people who are unemployed and people with a disability. New-entrant trainees may also be fee-free. Use the fee calculator above, and we’ll confirm before you enrol.
Am I eligible for Smart & Skilled?
Generally you need to be aged 15 or over and no longer at school, live or work in NSW, and be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, New Zealand citizen or eligible humanitarian visa holder. Other rules can apply, so we check your eligibility before you enrol.
Can I do it as a traineeship?
Yes, in NSW. If you’re a new or recent hire at a centre, CHC30125 can be done as a funded traineeship, fee-free for eligible new-entrant trainees. You earn while you learn. See how traineeships work.
Can I work in childcare while I’m studying?
Usually, yes. In centre-based services, educators who are enrolled and actively working towards an approved Certificate III can count towards the qualification requirements. Check with the centre, as each one applies the rules to its own service.
Do I need a Working with Children Check?
Yes, before you start your placement. It’s required by law to work with children, and it’s the one condition on our placement guarantee. We walk you through applying for one in your state.
Is First Aid included?
Yes. HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting is one of your core units. We book and pay for a local First Aid course before your placement, and it counts towards your qualification.
How am I assessed?
Through online tasks, like written questions, case studies and planning activities, and through observation of your practical skills during placement. Your trainer marks your work within 72 hours and tells you exactly what to fix if something needs another go.
What’s the difference between CHC30125 and CHC30121?
CHC30125 is the current Certificate III and replaced CHC30121. It still has 17 units and 160 placement hours. The child protection unit changed to CHCPRT025, and students now complete the National Child Safety Training before placement.
What jobs can I get with a Cert III in childcare?
Early childhood educator in long day care, preschool or kindergarten assistant, outside school hours care (OSHC) educator, family day care educator and nanny. It’s also the first step towards a Diploma and room leader roles.
How much will I earn with a Cert III in childcare?
The Children’s Services Award minimum for a Certificate III qualified educator is about $32.50 an hour from 1 July 2026, and many services also pay the 15% Worker Retention Payment. Check the current Fair Work pay guide, as rates change every July.
Can I go on to the Diploma?
Yes. The Certificate III is the usual first step towards a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, which leads to room leader and educational leader roles. Some units can count towards it through credit transfer.
Is the qualification recognised in every state?
Yes. CHC30125 is a nationally recognised qualification, approved for educators across Australia. It’s issued by NCVE, RTO 90283.
Can I start any time?
Yes. There are no intake dates. Enrol online today and you can start your first unit straight away.
I’ve worked in childcare before. Can I get credit?
If you’ve already completed units with another RTO, credit transfer applies and you won’t repeat them. If you’ve worked in childcare without the qualification, your experience makes the course quicker: you already know much of the content, and paid shifts in a centre count towards your 160 placement hours. Call 1800 180 881 and we’ll check before you enrol.
Do I need experience with children to start?
No. The course teaches you everything from the ground up, and your placement gives you real experience in a service before you finish.
✓ NAME : Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
✓ TYPE : PROGRAM
✓ DURATION : 12 to 18 months
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