ECEC qualifications form part of massive Horsham training boost

Freya Lucas

Jul 05, 2019

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Those in the Wimmera and the Grampions regions of Victoria wishing to study early childhood education and care (ECEC) are set to benefit from a new suite of projects funded by the Victorian Government, providing better training opportunities to gain skills for “in demand” jobs across the region, Victorian Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney announced yesterday.

Visiting the FedUni TAFE’s Wimmera campus, Ms Tierney announced more than $1.1 million in funding, allocated to five projects as part of the Victorian Labor Government’s Regional and Specialist Training Fund.

The fund enables training to be delivered that meets industry demand for specific skills in regions, and specialist areas that are not being adequately met in the current training market.

The funding will provide two traineeship qualifications – the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, and Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care – to help the Wimmera region overcome critical shortages of qualified staff in childcare centres, kindergartens and for out-of-school-hours and holiday programs.

FedUni TAFE is seeking local students with existing qualifications to upskill, as well as identifying new students who want a career in early childhood education. From 2020, these courses will also be added to the Free TAFE list and will support the Victorian Labor Government’s roll-out of three-year-old kindergarten.

“We’re making sure students have access to real training that meets the needs of local businesses and industry.” Ms Tierney said, adding that projects, such as the early childhood training initiative, “respond directly to local demands for skills in the Wimmera and Grampians regions, meaning graduates can find a great job and hit the ground running as soon as they are employed.”

For more information about the Victorian Government free TAFE initiative, see here.

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