Early childhood education and care is having a growth spurt! That means our childcare centres and kindergartens need more skilled and caring staff to keep up with demand.  

The Australian government forecasts there will be a total of 222,700 workers by 2026, that’s an 11% increase to the workforce. To meet that target, the Victorian Government is offering financial support, incentives and scholarships for people who either work or study in childcare.  

If you are creative, adore children and want to find meaningful work that gives back to the community, now is the perfect time to become a childcare worker. You can easily jump-start a career in childcare and enjoy flexible work hours plus the opportunity for career progression. 

Becoming an early childhood educator  

To secure work at an early learning centre, you’ll need to complete or be working towards a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care at an accredited training provider. The Certificate III is the minimum requirement for the industry, and graduates can become a Kindergarten Assistant, Childcare Assistant and Early Childhood Educator.  

Your studies will cover nurturing babies’ toddlers and children, developing educational plans and activities. Supporting individual development, and a child’s health, safety and wellbeing. You will also need to complete a 160 hours of practical work experience in a childcare centre.  

The Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care is the next step for early childhood educators who want to move into more senior leadership roles.  

The Diploma expands on the topics learnt during the Certificate III and includes 180 hours of practical placement. Students will become experts at evaluating, planning and implementing educational programs and activities. They will learn how to become team leaders, manage staff and foster positive relationships with families.  

Diploma graduates can become an educational leader, group leader, assistant director or childcare centre director.  

Government Incentives 

To support the roll out of funded three your old kinder, the Victorian government is providing financial support to eligible individuals to upskill or move back into Early Childhood teaching! 

The Early Childhood Aboriginal Pathway Scholarships is available for Aboriginal and Torre Strait Islander people who want to enrol in either a Certificate III or Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care. The scholarship covers a large portion of tuition and students can apply for the Tertiary Access Payment if they are moving to study.  

The Tertiary Access Payment  is for students who have completed year 12 and want to move to study early childhood education. The program offers a one-off payment of up to $5000 to cover the cost of relocating from a remote or regional area. 

The Early Childhood Teachers Incentive is available for qualified early childhood teachers currently working outside the Victorian early childhood sector and secure a role to deliver three-year-old kindergarten in 2023. The program offers a one-off incentive payment and additional relocation payments for eligible educators. 

Embracia Difference 

Embracia Childcare and Kindergarten takes a holistic approach to education and care. Our learning model emphasises the importance of intergenerational learning, nature play and indigenous perspectives and knowledge in the curriculum. We are a family-owned business that values our staff, children and the local community.  

Embracia Childcare & Kindergarten in Kyneton will feature outstanding facilities and training resources for educators and staff. Our centre has a unique industry partnership with Embracia Education.

If you study Early Childhood education and care with Embracia, you are assured placement and have a high chance of securing employment afterwards. Our students have an amazing opportunity to complete their placement in a brand-new centre and gain skills delivering and leading educational programs. 

If you are already an experienced educator, teacher or director – our centre is looking for dedicated staff to join the team. There’re multiple positions available for a mid-year start date! So there’s plenty of time to get ready to make your next career move.