Learning new skills to support children’s development

Jack Kirk is pursuing his interest in working with children by studying the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care at TAFE SA.

“I enjoy being around children and I wanted to get back into studying, so I thought the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, which is a 12-month course, was a good starting point,” he says.

Jack, 21, says his decision to commit to full-time study in the vocational education and training sector was made easier by receiving a fee-free place as part of the State and Federal Government’s Fee Free TAFE initiative.

More than 4000 fee-free places have been made available at TAFE SA this year to assist students wanting to train, retrain or upskill in key sectors experiencing a skills shortage, including early childhood education and care.

“Studying requires such a time commitment so it’s good to know the fee is taken care of and I can focus on the course,” he says.

Jack, who has ADHD, says he’s been impressed with the support services available to students at TAFE SA since starting his training in February.

He’s also full of praise for his “amazing lecturers” and the knowledge they have about the early childhood education and care sector.

“I’m really enjoying the course and I love learning about the work that goes into the policies, regulations and standards around early childhood education and care,” he says.

“I’ve loved learning about the genuine thought and care that goes into the development of early learning frameworks.”

Jack’s first work placement, at a family-run childcare centre in Adelaide’s western suburbs, is providing him with useful on-the-job experience, which he says is backing up what he’s learnt in the classroom.

“It doesn’t feel like any job I’ve had before, it’s really fulfilling, and I can see that I can make a difference in children’s lives,” he says.