What is a Childcare Traineeship?

It’s amazing how much children learn and develop during their early years. You can help guide and nurture them through this exciting time with a career in childcare. It’s super rewarding.

Becoming a trainee childcare worker is the first step towards a rewarding career working with children. You’ll receive structured training, as well as on-the-job experience and a nationally recognised certificate, qualifying you to work as an early childhood educator, outside school hours care assistant, playgroup supervisor, and more. You’ll be able to work on the frontline with children, nurturing them through the crucial early years of their development.

What is a childcare traineeship? 

If you’re wondering just exactly what is a childcare traineeship, read on. A childcare traineeship is a structured training program offered by Registered Training Organisations across Australia. Programs provide a balanced mix of coursework and hands on experience in a childcare environment. You may be able to complete coursework in a classroom, or coursework may be offered online. Content prepares trainees to be able to support children’s health, safety, and wellbeing, and to facilitate children’s learning through play. Edge Early Learning offers limited places for trainee childcare workers to be placed in paid trainee positions at our centres and we also cover the cost of the traineeship for successful applicants.

How long is a childcare traineeship?

A childcare traineeship typically takes 12-18 months to complete.

Key responsibilities during a childcare traineeship

During a traineeship, a trainee childcare worker will be given supervised opportunities to put their learning into practice in a real early childhood setting. Working alongside qualified early childhood educators, trainee childcare workers at Edge Early Learning receive tailored mentoring while engaged in planning activities and interacting with children.

How to get a traineeship in childcare

• Check your eligibility – To become a trainee childcare worker, you must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident and obtain a Working with Children Check, Blue Card or Police Check, depending on your state or territory.

• Update your resume – Ensure your resume includes your most relevant skills and experience, including any informal childcare experience, such as babysitting or volunteering.

• Apply to work at Edge Early Learning – If you’re interested in working with children and ready to start studying, we’d love to hear from you. We pay our trainee childcare workers above award wages and cover the cost of your Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. You’ll study online with the registered training organisation Kool Kids Training College and complete your practical training at one of our centres. We offer limited trainee childcare positions at each of our centres, so we encourage you to apply for all the centres where you are willing to be placed. Apply now for a position as a trainee childcare worker at Edge Early Learning.

• Look for other traineeship opportunities – You can also look for trainee childcare positions through online job postings such as Seek or LinkedIn.

Childcare career pathways

Start as a trainee childcare worker and see where it takes you. There are many opportunities for advancement. At Edge Early Learning, we can support you to undertake further study, such as a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care. Or perhaps you may be interested in becoming an educator in our Kindy rooms, which means obtaining a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education. There are also opportunities to advance to leadership positions and even become a Centre Director.

Start your career in childcare at Edge Early Learning

Our staff love working at Edge Early Learning. Check out our employee benefits and ongoing professional development and apply for a traineeship today.