Developing key employability skills is so important. Historically, you’d have to wait until you’re beyond year 12 to book yourself into courses and go through years of study to boast a qualification that allowed you to advance your career, particularly in the early childhood sector.
But, for some high school students, there’s an alternative pathway to an industry-recognised qualification with the help of companies like Only About Children (OAC) and Bayside Glen Eira Kingston Local Learning & Employment Network (BGKLLEN).
Recently, BGKLLEN approached OAC, looking to collaborate and reach a common goal – to promote the Early Learning Sector to young people and highlight the incredible career pathway that it is.
Structured Workplace Learning Program
With structured workplace learning, students no longer need to wait until they’ve graduated, they can get started with work placements and become qualified, studying certificate three in early childhood education and care throughout high school.
Students are hosted once a week at OAC campuses over one or two terms to complete work placement while studying their certificate three.
Rosanne Grieco, Early Careers Manager at OAC says, “I think it’s a great opportunity for Victorian high school students to spend time in an early childhood context. It’s one thing when you’re learning about it in your theoretical components but to be there amongst it, in person, is different. It’s a great opportunity for them to apply what they learn in their theory in a practical sense.”
By the time students have completed year 12, they are fully or at least partially qualified, depending on their course preference, to move into a full-time role with a certificate three in early childhood education and care.
From there, it's up to them
Beyond their certificate three in early childhood education and care qualifications, Rosanne mentions how much easier things become.
“For these students completing the Cert 3 in high school, it’s then very easy for them to move into the diploma, which is the next qualification upon graduating. At Only About Children specifically, we support our team members with the diploma financially. We’ll either cover their independent course costs or enrol them in a diploma traineeship through us to do it with us and our preferred registered training organisation.”
Campus directors managing service locations that are currently hosting high school students have nothing but incredible things to say about the program.
“At OAC Highett, we thrive to create a positive and supportive environment where students can learn under our educator’s guidance at their own pace. Focusing on children’s safety, respectful interactions with children and working in partnership with families. Giving our students a realistic, yet enjoyable first look at what it is like to work within the industry, which ultimately is setting them up for success to grow further within their career as an educator”.
Why stop here?
OAC is partnered with BGKLLEN for a few other initiatives too, one is to promote the sector to young people and bring light to the pathway opportunities.
There seems to be a misconception that the career starts and finishes with being an early educator, which if that’s what you want to do, is perfect. But there are ways to move through the sector, and at pace, if that’s what you prefer. There are so many roles you can step into within the sector that is often not highlighted.
“I entered the sector as a trainee 10 years ago, starting as a certificate 3 trainee, moving into a room leader role, educational leader role, completed my early childhood teaching degree, managed a service, and now, I work in the office as OAC’s early careers manager. The opportunities are endless,” Rosanne recalls.
OAC is currently supporting the structured workplace learning of five students through their collaborative program and looks forward to welcoming more with the help of the BGKLLEN portal.
If you’d like to learn more about the initiatives, get in touch with Rosanne and the team at OAC.
