Work Placement

The completion of work placement is critical to the success of your qualification.  Not only do all ACTAC courses have a mandatory work placement component but it also provides our students with the opportunity to learn in a real environment under the direction of a qualified practitioner.

Work placement provides you with the opportunity to:

• Work with students and children in education or early childhood education service
• Work with other educators and teachers to support the education of students and children
• Develop relationships and networks with colleagues and the community

Work placement is often the first step to securing employment in the early childhood and education sectors following the completion of your qualification.

The following hours apply to our qualifications:

Many graduates of ACTAC have gone on to secure full and part-time employment with their vocational placement employers and continue their studies to grow their career.

• CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
• CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support
• CHC40221 Certificate IV in School Based Education Support
• CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
• CHC50221 Diploma of School Age Education and Care

Learners can start organising their placements at any time, but still within the course duration, once they have successfully completed the first 6 units so they can put that theory into practice.

Before you commence your work placement you and your workplace supervisor will be required to sign a number of documents. These documents, including a signed Workplace Agreement, must be submitted to ACTAC BEFORE you commence your work placement.

• There are some restrictions on the type of workplace you choose.  ACTAC approves the following workplaces:
  • Early childhood education and care work placement must be completed in an approved childcare centre.  This does NOT include family day care centres.
  • Education support work placement must be completed in a school setting that caters for students from the first formal year of school and beyond.
  • This does not include Kindergarten or other pre-schools that do not follow Australian curriculum for schools (Foundation to 10 or senior secondary Australian Curriculum)
  • School age education and care work placement must be completed in an approved out of school hours care service.  This may include a service attached to a school

It’s important to get your search for work placement off to a great start. Make contact with schools and early childhood education services in your local area or an area that you can travel to.  You may be able to become a volunteer at some centres to increase your chances of securing the ideal placement. Use the following tips to help you secure your placement organisation:

• Research school and early childhood education services in your local area or an area that you can travel to
• Conduct research on the school or service before you speak to them. Employers always like to see that potential staff have taken the time to get to know their organisation
• Consider your search as a job interview and prepare a detailed application for the school or service
• Ensure that you sell yourself including your professional qualities, any previous experience and your career aspirations
• Make sure that your applications are tailored to the school or service you want to work with
• When speaking with potential workplaces, don’t be afraid to sell yourself
• When you secure your placement, work hard and aim to achieve positive results for yourself and the organisation
• Last but not least, in your search, ensure you find the organisation that shares your values

Check with your local State or Territory Government about opportunities to volunteer.  All State and Territory governments have sites that provide information on areas for volunteering and how to become a volunteer.

Prepare well in advance of your interview by thinking about the questions you want answered in advance and updating your resume. While you are there:

• Be positive and aware of your posture and body language
• Let them know what you know about the school or services
• Speak to your resume including your achievements
• Respond to any questions positively

Before you do your interview, you’ll be provided with a work placement letter that you can give to the school or service to confirm that you are currently enrolled in a vocational qualification requiring the completion of work placement.

Contact us to find out more and inquire about the work placement conditions.

Please note: For students studying either CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care or CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care please note that ACTAC does not accept work placement being carried out in a family day care setting.

While on work placement, you will carry out tasks under the direction of a qualified supervisor. As we are an online training organisation providing our training in all States and Territories of Australia, we do not conduct physical visits on site to observe our students.  Instead, you work directly with your supervisor who will confirm and validate your knowledge and experience for the duration of your placement.

You will complete a number of tasks detailed in a Learner Placement Booklet and Placement Booklet (PB). Your supervisor will verify the completion of the tasks in the PB before you submit to your trainer for marking. The booklets will be provided to you prior to the commencement of your placement.

Each day of your work placement, you will be required to complete an attendance record to confirm completion of the required hours.  When you have completed your work placement, your attendance sheet will need to be signed by your supervisor to verify that all necessary hours have been completed. Please note that the hours indicated above do not include lunch breaks.

For more information on how you will be assessed during your placement, refer to our Training and Assessment Policy on this website.