What is Early Childhood Education? Make a Difference in a Child’s Life

Use your exceptional people skills, empathy and desire to be instrumental in the wellbeing of our youngest learners.

Early childhood education (ECE) comprises various positions in many workplace settings, and roles range from entry-level through to senior management. No matter where you fit into this essential sector, the object is the same: to support, implement and promote academic, social, emotional, and physical development to the future leaders of our world.

Your career in childhood education can be tailored to you. Early childhood education salaries vary, and jobs can be full-time or part-time, allowing you to facilitate other life priorities. There are also exciting opportunities to progress your career into senior positions. Imagine having a job that allowed you to make positive policy and framework changes — improving education systems for years to come.

So, what is the purpose of early childhood education, what qualifications do you need, and what opportunities are there for career progression in this rewarding field?

Early Childhood Educator

Early childhood educators (also known as childcare workers) work in government and private childcare provider settings like daycares, creches and kindergartens. They provide caregiving services and nurture child development from babies to school-aged children. 

Early Childhood Teacher

Early childhood teachers, also known as preschool teachers, work in daycares, service providers, and kindergartens. They have a comprehensive knowledge of child development, and use this to collaborate with senior management to plan and provide early education to preschool children. 

Childcare Assistant 

A childcare assistant supports senior staff at daycare and kindergarten settings and provides care, play-based learning opportunities, and comfort to young children. 

Nanny

A nanny usually cares for children in clients homes and supports them with fundamental skills for social and brain development. They may also be required to perform household chores and run errands.

Early childhood special education teacher

After you have experience working with many children, you may discover a desire to help those with developmental difficulties or disability like learning challenges, speech or hearing problems, or sensory-processing limitations.

Further study in special education will allow you to gain the qualifications to work in special education and support children with disabilities to have equal educational opportunities.

Childcare centre or kindergarten manager

As a childcare centre manager, you’ll be planning educational programs for children and supervising a team of educators and teachers in a childcare setting. A childcare centre manager is responsible for the business’s day-to-day running and is in charge of the core administration and financial systems.

If you have a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC50121) under your belt and have had professional experience in early childhood care, a role as a centre manager can be a rewarding job.

Primary school teacher

If you wish to further your career and support children in a slightly higher age bracket, primary school teaching is a highly fulfilling job .

Primary school teachers educate children between five and 12 years of age. They use a set curriculum to support students in developing literacy and numeracy skills. While in the classroom, they also support each child’s social development, emotional wellbeing and health.

Through professional development and further study, you could be a teacher in no time. People with a bachelor’s degree in another discipline can complete a postgraduate degree in primary education to qualify for a role as a school teacher.

Teachers aide

Your experience in early childhood education could lead to teaching aide roles within child care settings or in primary schools.

Teachers aides assist teachers in early learning with duties like preparing teaching resources and materials and administrative classroom tasks.
Discover everything you need to know about working as a teacher’s aide.

When you work in early childhood education, it’s not only an opportunity to impact the lives of Australian children for the better — it’s a stable, enjoyable and fulfilling life-long career.

With flexible learning options, various roles and workplaces, and the opportunity to further your career in many directions, your new job in early childhood education is much closer than you think.

Want to find out if you can study a childcare course for free? This is what you should know about government funding.