Early Childhood Education and Care Qualification Review

This is a large and complex project which will review and update CHC30125 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and CHC50125 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care to ensure responsiveness to current and emerging skills needed in the sector. The purpose of these qualifications is to support a specific occupation.

We will also work with the Department of Education and the Department of Employment and Workforce Relations to explore the findings and recommendations from a number of recent reports to ensure the suitability of current early childhood education and care qualifications.

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The primary objective of this project is to support the development and growth of the early childhood education and care workforce.

A review of the CHC30125 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and the CHC50125 Diploma of Early Childhood Education will consider relevant skills and training and workforce development findings and recommendations in recent reports including:

Victorian Government's 'Rapid Child Safety Review' (2025)
Job and Skills Australia’s ‘The Future of Early Childhood Education Profession’ (2024)
Australian Government Productivity Commission, ‘A path to universal early childhood education and care’ (2024)
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (2023), ‘Review of child safety arrangements under the National Quality Framework’
2019 National Quality Framework Review Decision Regulation Impact Statement (DRIS): ‘Legislative change to require compulsory training on safe sleep practices for all FDC educators subject to governments undertaking further research, costing and impact analysis of any proposed training and the implementation approach’.

Analysis of the various reports and reviews will be jointly undertaken with the Department of Education and Department of Employment and Workplace Relations which will confirm the recommendations being addressed through this project.

The project also aims to complement and build on related initiatives and reform opportunities including:

establishment of the TAFE SA-led Centre of Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care (CoE), The National Children’s Education and Care Workforce Strategy (2022-2031) Shaping Our Future, the Qualification Reform Design Group (2024) Final Report
priorities for the ECEC sector identified in HumanAbility’s Workforce Plan (2024)
Opportunity and Productivity: Towards a Tertiary Harmonisation Roadmap (2025)

Due to the size and complexity of this project, implementation will be structured into 2 phases:

a review of the CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and the CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
other associated activities that respond to recommendations and insights.

You can provide us with any initial feedback on the CHC30125 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and the CHC50125 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care by emailing us at [email protected].

Project fact sheet

Project Governance

A Technical Committee (TC) comprising of industry experts has been established to provide specialised advice for this project. Members were carefully selected based on their relevant expertise and experience in areas critical to the project.

The TC will work with HumanAbility in this project to:

identify relevant stakeholders to consult with about the project
provide insights on proposed communication and consultation strategies
provide technical knowledge on the skills and knowledge required to meet graduate outcomes and workforce needs.

Our Project Consultation Strategy has been finalised and is available to download.

Functional analysis

Our Functional Analysis Report used in-depth research to provides a clear and detailed overview of the roles, functions, and skills required in the early childhood education and care sector.

We are committed to developing training products that meet industry standards and contribute to improving workforce readiness by identifying gaps and opportunities in skills development.

The report outlines key competencies needed to meet industry demands and supports workforce development by exploring nationally endorsed training pathways.

Methodology

To ensure accuracy and relevance, the functional analysis research process included desktop research and interviews. We invited early childhood education and care educators to attend one of our 5 online workshops held between 13 and 21 October 2025 to share their experiences and thoughts about working with children.

Desktop research included reviews of job advertisements, organisational structures, industry reports and government labour market data to understand workforce skills requirements and identify emerging trends.

For the interviews, we engaged with employers, peak bodies, registered training organisations and subject matter experts to gather valuable insights into practical roles, functions, sub-functions, skills and knowledge requirements.

These conversations helped us identify the specific tasks, challenges, and competencies employers prioritise in various work settings.

We also gained a deeper understanding of employer expectations, current and future workforce needs to define functions and sub-functions to guide workforce development, and training product solutions for the sector.

Functional Analysis Report

Subject matter experts

Thank you to everyone who submitted an expression of interest to join our volunteer subject matter expert (SME) pool. We have now formed a team to provide critical input into our qualification review. These volunteers will be vital to the success of this review and directly impact the future of the early childhood education and care sector.

Draft Documents

The draft training products below are based on feedback and learnings from the Functional Analysis process, subject matter expert workshops and technical committee member advice. We are now seeking further feedback during this public consultation phase.

Many of the draft units have been written using the new Application of Skills and Knowledge (ASK) template. Unlike the traditional Unit of Competency (UoC) template which focuses on prescriptive, step-by-step processes, the ASK template focuses on outcome-based standards. Stakeholder feedback indicated that prescriptive performance criteria often results in unnecessary duplications in assessments which do not necessarily reflect the nuances and complexities of early childhood professional practice. The ASK template aligns well with the early childhood sector which is governed by a National Quality Framework that recognises quality outcomes and progression through meeting or exceeding standards.

Some key considerations that guided unit and qualification content and structure include the need for:

more focus on child development knowledge and its application in practice
coverage of play pedagogy including nature play, creative arts, language and literature, and STEM
closer alignment with sector benchmarks including NQS and EYLF
less reliance on services to assess learners
better integration of First Nations histories, knowledges, perspectives and cultures
inclusion around disability, developmental delay and autism
contemporary trauma informed approaches
child safety and harm prevention knowledge
greater accessibility for all learners
better representation of cultural and social diversity
a place-based and sustainability ethos.

Summary of Proposed Changes

Review and provide feedback

There are 7 surveys available to complete:

the Certificate III qualification structure
the Diploma qualification structure
the 9 Certificate III units in the new ASK template
the 7 Certificate III units in the traditional UoC template
the 7 Diploma units in the new ASK template
the 3 Diploma units in the traditional UoC template
the overall ECEC training package

We invite you to provide feedback on the early childhood education and care qualifications until Sunday 31 May 2026.

Qualifications

CHC3012X Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care

Provide feedback

CHCH5012X Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

Provide feedback

Units

Consultation Workshops

As part of our Early Childhood Education and Care Qualification Review, we're inviting registered training organisations, educational experts, subject matter experts, industry bodies, unions, employers, providers, First Nations people and other invested people to attend a consultation workshop. These workshops will help us to:

understand industry changes and the skills, knowledge, practice and requirements needed for the Certificate III and Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care
understand current challenges, gaps, opportunities and potential solutions
identify and inform changes for the qualifications, units of competency and skill sets
identify functions that are common across all/specific settings and pathways within the sector
gain advice on the development of resources, guidance on delivery and pathways information.

Your perspectives will contribute to shaping the outcomes of this project and ensure the suitability of current early childhood education and care qualifications.

Come along, share your thoughts and be part of the conversation.

Workshops

Cairns: Tuesday 17 March 2026, 9am to 4.30 pm (local time)
Location: Crystalbrook Bailey Hotel, 163 Abbott St, Cairns City, QLD 4870

Early Childhood Education and Care Qualification Review

Project Governance

Functional analysis

Methodology

Subject matter experts

Draft Documents

Review and provide feedback

Qualifications

Units

Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care Units

Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care Units

General Questions

Consultation Workshops

Workshops

March to August 2026

August to November 2026

How to get involved

Contact details

Timeline

Project Set Up

Development

Consultation

Finalisation and Submission

Endorsement and Implementation