Open Colleges is the new name for Cengage Education, and is Australia's oldest and most respected provider of Online and distance education courses. We deliver over 130 online and distance education courses, including an extensive range of nationally recognised Certificates and Diplomas.

Set to become the minimum standard for childcare workers, this nationally recognised qualification is for those currently in the industry who need to formalise their practical experience as well as for new entrants.

The course is delivered by Open Colleges (formerly Cengage Education) in partnership with the International Child Care College, a highly respected industry leader in childcare education. It will train you to interact with children and to respond effectively to their physical, social, emotional and developmental needs. Occupational health and safety, nutrition, and legal considerations are also covered, and students will also undertake a work placement to provide useful 'real world' experience.

With a 2011 Productivity Commission report highlighting the need for more highly qualified childcare workers and the potential for wage rises in response to government reforms, it's never been more important to have the right skills and qualification.

Potential jobs:

• Family day care worker
• Childcare worker
• Childcare assistant
• Playgroup supervisor

Extras

When you enrol in the Certificate III in Childrens Services with Open Colleges, you'll enjoy the benefit of a full years membership to ECA, which comes with:

• a quarterly Every Child magazine
• a fortnightly ECA Web Watch e-newsletter
• a quarterly ECA Voice member newsletter
• discounts to ECA conferences and events

The Open Colleges difference:

• Nationally accredited: This ensures your qualification is recognised by industry around Australia.
• Start today! Open Colleges courses offer you ultimate flexibility. There is no need to attend classes at a campus or wait for an intake or start date. You can start your course whenever it suits you!
• Study from home at your own pace: You can study from home at your own pace. You can a choose to receive your learning materials by mail or online.
• Benefit from 100 years of history: Open Colleges has been delivering distance education to Australians for more than 100 years. Join over 700,000 Australians who have studied with Open Colleges. Unlike many other institutions, we are specialists in distance learning.
• We help you to succeed: Open Colleges provides you with comprehensive support throughout your studies. From access to ‘OpenSpace’ — our online learning portal — to support from experienced tutors, we help you every step of the way.
• Affordable fees: Open Colleges provides you with a range of different payment plan options. You can pay upfront and get a discount on your fees or you can choose to pay by instalment – including weekly, fortnightly and monthly options.
• Articulation opportunities: Once you have completed your studies, you may receive credit if you wish to pursue further education.