Career change leads to rewarding new role in childcare

With the support of Fee Free TAFE, Bradley Edwards has successfully transitioned his career from retail to early childhood education and care through TAFE SA.

A father of one, Bradley said he had been contemplating a career change since the COVID pandemic and chose the early childhood education and care sector because he was interested in engaging with children and helping them learn.

The “final push” that he needed to enrol in early childhood education and care training was Fee Free TAFE.
“Fee Free TAFE has helped me by allowing me to study and pursue this career without the concern of whether or not I can even afford to study and change careers years after leaving high school,” he said.

Bradley studied the 12-month Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care at TAFE SA’s Regency Campus.
“While studying this course, I have enjoyed meeting educators, children, families, and seeing the many different ways that everyone engages and communicates with each other towards the common goal of child learning and care,” he said.

While the on-campus study was along the lines of what he expected, Bradley found the practical placement side of the course “eye opening” as he navigated the responsibilities and services of a childcare centre.

“I had very little knowledge of the field, so it was a steep learning curve,” he said.
“Being at TAFE SA I have really enjoyed the combination of both learning and practical hands-on experience.”

Now employed in a childcare centre, Bradley said the most rewarding part of working in the sector so far was getting to know his co-workers and the children and their families using the service.