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My placement

Your placement guide

Your placement, step by step.

Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care

Placement is where your study turns into practice: real days in a real centre, with a mentor beside you and your trainer and workplace assessor behind you. This guide explains what to get ready, how to find a centre, and what happens once you start. Your placement page in the portal tracks each step as you go.

Placement hours
160 hours
Where
A childcare centre within your travel area
When you can start
Once your first block of theory units, including First Aid, is complete. If you already work in a centre, you can start straight away.
Your contact
Your course coordinator, at the foot of every portal page

How placement works

Five steps, in the same order as the progress bar on your placement page. You only ever need to do one thing at a time.

  1. Get ready

    Read this guide, then tell us you're ready. Your placement checklist opens.

  2. Documents and training

    Upload each clearance to your checklist and book any workshop you still need. The placement team checks everything once it's all in.

  3. Find a centre and tell us

    Contact centres in your area. When one says yes, enter the centre's details and your dates in the portal.

  4. Agreement

    Read and accept your placement agreement in the portal. It goes to your trainer and the centre to sign.

  5. Placement

    You start. Your workplace coach and assessor stay in touch, and your hours build towards the 160.

What you'll need

These are the clearances and training your course requires before placement. Each one has a slot on your placement checklist, so there is nothing to email. If you already hold a current certificate, upload it instead of booking.

Documents to upload

  • Working with Children Check
  • Child Safe Environments 'Through Their Eyes'
  • National Child Safety Training Foundation training must be repeated every 2 years

Training to complete

  • First Aid & CPR Certificate (HLTAID012)

Open your checklist

Step 3

Finding a centre

Most students find their own centre, and most centres say yes to a student who asks well. Start with centres you can get to easily, including any you already know. Ask to speak with the director, and be ready to say:

  • who you are: a student with Enhance Training studying the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care;
  • what you're asking for: 160 hours of placement in a registered centre, and the days and times you're available (allow one day a week to keep going with your study);
  • what you already hold: your Working with Children Check, Child Safe Environments certificate, First Aid certificate and National Child Safety Training. Your checklist shows which of these are done;
  • that Enhance Training issues a Certificate of Currency so you're insured while you're on site.

When a centre agrees, note the centre's name, the director's full name and email address, and whether you're employed there. Then enter those details, with your start date and attendance days, on your placement page. The placement team confirms the arrangement with the centre from there.

Enter your centre's details

Having trouble?

If you're stuck, ask

If you've contacted a few centres and none has come through, that's okay. Ask your course coordinator for placement assistance from your placement page and we'll help you find one. Tell us the area you can travel to and the days you're available.

Ask for placement help

Step 4

Your placement agreement

Once your centre is confirmed, your placement agreement appears on your placement page. It records the host centre, your details, your 160 placement hours, your start date and the days you'll attend. Read it carefully and accept it in the portal. It then goes to your trainer, the centre's placement supervisor and your course coordinator to sign, and you'll get a copy.

Your first week

Here's what happens once everything is signed, so nothing comes as a surprise.

  1. Confirmation email

    Your course coordinator emails you and the centre to confirm, with copies of your clearances, Enhance Training's Certificate of Insurance and the signed agreement.

  2. Your workplace coach

    Your trainer assigns your workplace coach and sends you your placement documents, including your logbook.

  3. The centre's checklist

    The centre director receives a supervisor's checklist for your mentor, so they know what you need to practise and observe.

  4. Meet your assessor

    You'll get an introduction email with the contact details of your Enhance Training workplace assessor.

  5. Book the visit

    In your first few days, contact your workplace assessor to arrange when they'll visit and observe you. This one is up to you, so don't leave it.