Having often had contact with Australian children, while working as an au pair on the Working Holiday Visa, many young women frequently ask us information about courses in Early Childhood Education and Care, that is, courses for working as a Childcare Worker in childcare centres and potentially becoming managers there.
Furthermore, early childhood education courses are very popular amongst young women, since they often find themselves with a limited choice of vocational courses because the VET sector consists mainly of practical subjects. Especially true when considering courses that can guarantee a return on your investment, like, for example the possibility of applying for a 485 Post Graduate visa, that enables those who have completed the Qualification a period of 18 months of full-time work without conditions, as if it was a Working Holiday, but longer and without restrictions.
Child Care Worker - Regional Occupation List
You need to take great care when trying to plan your migration pathway, since the courses, professions and migration regulations are currently, to use a euphemism, “confused and conflicting”. We will, however, try to give a general panorama: the early childhood educators in Australia are classified as Child Care Worker, a Profession defined as Skill Level 3, that is requiring a Certificate III in Early Childhood to be considered qualified. The problem arises when you consult the designated lists, as we find this Profession only on the Regional Occupation List. Since it is limited only to the certificate, there is not a Post Graduate opportunity and with it the opportunity to accrue experience after the qualification.
Many young women, however, acquire a Post Graduate Visa after having completed courses in Childhood – why is that? Because they also complete a Diploma in Early Childhood which partially qualifies them (just from the aspect of the study qualification) as a Childcare Centre Manager, according to the standards of ACECQA, the relevant board for this category. The Profession 134111 Childcare Centre Manager is a unique case: it can be found on the Skilled Occupation List in the Medium- Long- Term List and so can lead to many permanent visas. The real difficulty is finding a child care centre that will select a newly graduated diploma holder as manager of the entire structure – a rather unlikely event. Furthermore, there is conflict between local standards and immigration standards, making it necessary to include a third body (TRA) for completion of a Job Ready Program.
It is important for anyone attempting a pathway towards a permanent visa via this Profession, to sit at the table with a migration agent and summarise all the factors specific to the person. The presence of an Italian degree, for example (especially in Primary Education) carries weight, as does previous experience or current employment in an Australian child care centre and the willingness to move to regional areas.
Diploma in Early Childhood Education & Care
Qualification: Certificate III / Diploma in Early Childhood Education & Care
Skill Level: 1,3
Profession: 134111: Child Care Centre Manager, 421111: Child Care Worker
Description: https://training.gov.au/TrainingComponentFiles/CHC/CHC50113_R4.pdf