Being around children is always fun and exciting. Their playfulness and innocence are just unmatched. If you're someone who enjoys being with kids and loves taking care of them, you might as well make a career out of it.
The childcare industry offers you to work with children, take care of them and educate them. If you want to build your career in this sector, you can enrol in courses such as Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care and get started with your journey.
Let's walk you through a step-by-step guide to becoming a professional childcarer.
Begin with Babysitting
Before starting your education and training in childcare programs, start babysitting to gain experience working with children. Babysit for your family and friends to check if you can spend long hours with babies and kids and whether you have the right outlook to caring for children.
Babysitting will nurture your skills, build your confidence and prepare you beforehand for the challenges professional childcare faces on a daily basis.
Enrol in a Certificate or Diploma Program
You have to complete a certificate or diploma course before you are eligible to work as a childcare provider. The course you choose is totally up to you; however, you should choose a course that matches your expertise. You can choose any of the 3 programs to become a professional childcarer:
- Certificate 3 in Early Childhood Education and Care: Completing this course will prepare you to interact with children along with providing learning and arranging recreational activities for their academic and social growth.
- Certificate 4 in School Age Education and Care: Pursuing this program will prepare you for facilitating before and after-school programs.
- Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care: Registering in this VET (Vocational Education and Training) diploma program prepares you for supervisory roles in the childcare sector.
If you are from Perth, you can enrol in a top and reputed childcare education institute and study in Perth.
Get Your Licence
Whether one wants to work professionally or as a volunteer, completing a WWCC (Working With Children Check) is necessary before applying for any childcare job. You can apply for this certification online which would include a national police check for verifying your background.
The procedures, processing times, and fees vary across different states and territories, so you need to check them before applying. You will need to prepare a proof of identity documentation as well as fill out several forms through the website of your local government. It may be several weeks before your WWCC process is complete.
Complete a First Aid Certification
Some childcare education programs include first aid sessions, but it's better if you enrol in an additional safety and emergency first aid course. It'll give you a competitive advantage when you apply for childcare jobs.
Learning first aid prepares you to take care of the physical needs of children in case of injuries, emergencies, and allergic reactions. Through first aid courses, you learn practices that adhere to the Australian Resuscitation Council guidelines. Some special courses even train you to safely administer CPR on babies and children.
Apply for Jobs
Start with your job search by preparing a resume that highlights your expertise areas along with mentioning your other qualifications. Include details about any previous work experience and volunteer activities related to working with children.
You can apply for jobs online for childcare roles matching your qualifications. Prepare yourself a list of daycares, schools and education centres and apply for any vacancy that involves working with kids.
Gain Experience
Your career in the childcare sector would probably start with an entry-level position like an assistant or aid. By putting your skills and training lessons into your job, you can move up to more lucrative and responsible job roles. There are additional training programs for you to add more skills to your resume. You can even apply for internships that give you practical on-job training and strengthen your expertise.
Opt for Higher Education
A bachelor's degree can back your childcare certificate in early childhood education and care course or diploma programs and make you eligible for more advanced teaching roles. A bachelor's degree in education emphasizing early childhood development elevates your expertise levels and helps smoothen your career path. You develop a solid educational background to justify your ability to be a better teacher.
Skills You Require As a Childcare Professional
- Communication: As a childcarer, you should be able to effectively communicate with children, parents and your peers. You also need to learn how to communicate using simple language so that children grasp what you say.
- Patience: Working with children requires you to be calm and patient. During the formative years, children go through lots of emotional and behavioural changes, so being patient will help you deal with diverse needs, tantrums and maturity levels.
- Teaching Skills: As a childcare provider, your duties involve educating apart from monitoring children. So, your teaching skills are assessed when you apply for a childcare job. Proper understanding of lesson planning and classroom structure help you educate children better.
- Observation: Your observation skills matter so that you can interpret non-verbal cues from children and cater to their needs in every way possible.
- Problem-solving Skills: Your problem-solving skills come in handy in resolving classroom conflicts and adjusting your teaching techniques as per the needs of each child.Enrol
- Excitement: Young children tend to take more interest in their lessons when you give away an energetic, enthusiastic and humorous vibe in the classroom. They communicate with you better and are more open about their doubts.
- Computer Skills: In daycare facilities, you need basic computer skills to design and share lessons with children. Also, you would need to communicate with other daycare members and parents through emails and computer applications. Some facilities even have computerised check-in systems, which you would have to learn to operate as a daycare member.
Summary
Now that you know how to become a childcare professional, find the best school in Perth and get yourself enrolled.
