Early childhood teaching employment-based pathway

Deakin offers two employment-based pathways for our bachelor and graduate diploma early childhood education courses; the key benefit is that you can complete childcare placements in your early childhood workplace. After you’ve been accepted into one of the courses, we’ll send you an employment-based application form to apply for the Victorian Government's Early Childhood Tertiary Partnerships Program.

Click on your preferred course for more information about flexible study options, employer-based placements, scholarships, employer incentives, mentorships and steps to apply.

Bachelor of Early Childhood Education employment-based pathway

Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education employment-based pathway

This degree is suitable for diploma-qualified educators looking to upskill to an early childhood teaching degree. Read about the key features, watch our video presentation and then follow the instructions below to start your application.

Early childhood education scholarship

Students are eligible for a $25,000 early childhood education scholarship which is paid in instalments by the Department of Education Early Childhood Tertiary Partnerships Program. Money may be used for textbooks, course fees or living expenses.

Flexible study options

Students in the employment-based Bachelor of Early Childhood Education can study part-time and online. Part-time students complete two units per trimester and can finish the course in 2.5 years by studying during Deakin’s trimester three (November to March). However, they have up to 4 years to complete their course at their own pace.The online format allows students to learn at their convenience, with evening seminars recorded for later viewing.

Teaching coach mentor

Students are paired with a teaching coach who provides ongoing support for their professional growth, academic skills and practice. Deakin’s teaching coaches are early childhood specialists with extensive teaching experience. They foster a learning community within small peer groups and offer individualised support to both students and their workplaces.

Employment-based childcare placements

Students complete most placements at their workplace, provided it has the required age groups and a qualified early career teacher (ECT) mentor. We encourage students to undertake at least one childcare placement outside their workplace and swaps can be arranged with other students in the program to facilitate this opportunity.

During placement windows, students must work in a room with a specified age group of children and be mentored by a qualified ECT. Whenever possible, the student and mentor should work in the same room. To ensure a suitable mentoring environment, the following requirements apply to the employment-based pathway:

• students and mentors must undertake planning time together, as per the ECT’s usual planning schedule
• they must have a dedicated reflective discussion time of at least 30 minutes each week
• they should meet with the teaching coach for a triadic meeting once during the placement, lasting approximately 60 minutes.

Employer incentive

Employers receive a $4,000 financial incentive to support students who need to complete a placement outside the centre. This incentive can be used to hire additional staff or adjust existing staffing arrangements.

Essential information for employers

To support students in their study and placements, employers and centre directors are required to understand the employment-based pathway. For a student to be accepted into the program, employers must provide a letter of support and complete an online form agreeing to the terms and conditions.

We encourage you to discuss plans and practicalities with your employee to ensure their success in the employment-based pathway. Consider the following:

• establish a realistic workload while they study
• adjust the student’s work hours, if necessary
• modify staffing arrangements, e.g. room assignments or work times
• utilise the employer incentive to support an external placement, if required
• provide leave for the student if they need to complete an external placement, e.g. if the required age group or a qualified ECT is unavailable.

This postgraduate course will help you to upskill or career change into early childhood education. Read about the key features, watch our video presentation and then follow the instructions below to start your application.

Early childhood education scholarship

Students are eligible for a $12,000 early childhood education scholarship, paid in instalments by the Department of Education Early Childhood Tertiary Partnerships Program. This funding can be used for textbooks, course fees or living expenses. Additionally, a $10,000 financial incentive is available for students who relocate to a regional or rural area for an employment match.

Flexible study options

Students in the employment-based Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Education can plan their degree around work and life responsibilities. They can choose between online study and on-campus classes at Melbourne's Burwood Campus. Online study allows students to engage in learning at their convenience, with evening seminars that are recorded for later viewing.

While full-time study is an option, we strongly encourage part-time study to facilitate a smoother transition and better engagement with practical learning in their new workplaces. Part-time students typically complete two units per trimester and can finish the course in 18 months if studying full-time.

Teaching coach mentor

Students are paired with a teaching coach who provides ongoing support for their professional growth, academic skills and practice. Deakin’s teaching coaches are early childhood specialists with extensive teaching experience. They foster a learning community within small peer groups and offer individualised support to both students and their workplaces.

Employment-based childcare placements

Students complete most childcare placements in their workplace, provided it has the required age groups and a qualified ECT mentor. We encourage students to undertake at least one placement outside their workplace, with swaps arranged with other students to facilitate this opportunity.

During placement windows, students must work in a room with a specified age group of children and be mentored by a qualified ECT. Whenever possible, the student and mentor should work in the same room together. To ensure a suitable mentoring environment, the following requirements apply to the employment-based pathway:

• students and mentors must undertake planning time together, following the ECT’s usual schedule.
• they must have a dedicated reflective discussion time of at least 30 minutes each week
• students and mentors should meet with the teaching coach for a triadic meeting once during the placement, lasting approximately 60 minutes.

Employment matches

Deakin has established partnerships with a variety of early childhood centres to facilitate our employment-based pathway. We collaborate with our partners to identify suitable candidates for employment matches. If a match is successful, the student will become a paid employee at the centre for the duration of their study, serving as their placement workplace. The process for forming an employment match is as follows:

• Deakin introduces career changers to employers, who then conduct interviews and make hiring decisions
• employment decisions are made jointly by the student and employer, allowing students to decline offers and employers to decide on hiring
• an employment match is required for the duration of the course; however, employers are not obligated to continue employment after course completion, and students are not required to remain with the host service afterward
• employers may receive a $4,000 financial incentive if their employee needs to complete an external placement
• students with a potential employment match at the time of application for the employment-based pathway can email soeinnovative@deakin.edu.au.

Please note that there are a limited number of places for both early childhood education pathways. Priority for the employment-based pathways will be given to applications from educators and community members working in the following locations: