ECEC training comes to remote First Nations community of Galiwin’ku

Multiple agencies collaborated last month to bring valuable vocational education and training (VET) to the remote community of Galiwin’ku (also known as Echo Island), which is 150 kilometres north-west of Nhulunbuy and 550 kilometres north-east of Darwin. 

The initiative brought together the Batchelor Institute, Shepherdson College, East Arnhem Regional Council (EARC), and the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training, alongside local childcare and Families as First Teachers (FaFT) settings to deliver a Certificate III unit to students. 

Lana Collier, a VET lecturer in the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) space at the Batchelor Institute, visited the island from 24 – 28 February to deliver Provide Care for Babies and Toddlers, showcasing how collaboration can empower local learners on Country.

The program, which began in 2022 as part of the Galiwin’ku Child Circle collaboration—a network of programs supporting children from conception to five—provided hands-on learning opportunities for a minimum of nine students, with community interest often attracting additional participants.

This group was the second cohort, following the first group of five who graduated with their Diploma in ECEC from Batchelor Institute, the National Indigenous Times reports.

“This was a fantastic example of agencies and communities working together to make education accessible and relevant,” Ms Collier said.

“Our students spent mornings in face-to-face training and afternoons in real childcare environments, interacting with babies and toddlers to meet the unit’s assessment requirements—everything from changing nappies to encouraging gross motor skills like crawling and walking.”

The delivery aligned with the training package’s need for a working ECEC environment, offering students access to feeding, changing, sleeping, and play spaces. 

Local FaFT and early learning facilities played a pivotal role, hosting sessions to ensure students gained practical experience with “real live babies,” a critical component of their certification.

Shepherdson College RATE Professional Learning Leader Llani Caffery Panuve said the work was “more than just a course—it’s about building capacity in our community”.

“We’re excited to see our Cert III ladies, all of whom work in programs across the Galiwin’ku Child Circle network, take their skills to the next level,” she said.

Access the original coverage of this story here.