An Apprenticeship and Traineeship is a partnership between the student, their employer and the Registered Training Organisation (First Door). We work together towards you achieving a Nationally recognised qualification in Early Childhood Education and Care.

Your workplace supervisor supports your 'on-the-job' training, and you are paid by your employer to participate in 'off-the-job' training with First Door.

First Door is dedicated to developing inspired, knowledagble, skilled and valued educators

The benefits for students:

- FREE apprenticeships for people under 25 years - $0 course fees!
- apprentices and trainees over 25 years are charged a student co-contribution fee, instead of the full unit fee
- paid study time to complete training and assessment for 6 - 8 hours per unit/month
- a supportive training partnership with your employer and First Door as the RTO (keep scrolling down for full information!)

The benefits for employers:

- As from 1/7/22 - 30/6/24, employers may be eligible for the Priority Wage Subsidy - 10% wage subsidy for new or recommencing trainees and apprentices.

- The 10% Priority Wage Subsidy applies for first and second year apprentices and trainees (up to $1,500 per quarter)

- Supports recruitment and professional growth in your team (including for mentors and coaches) 

Subsided Apprenticeships and Traineeships in Queensland

The User Choice Program is funded by the Queensland Government, and provides the following subsided training options for apprentices and trainees:

Free Apprenticeships for Under 25s

If you are under 25, this funding covers the full cost of training for apprentices and trainees who commence or are undertaking an apprenticeship or traineeship until 30 June 2023, for the Certificate lll in Early Childhood Education and Care, OR the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care qualification. This means you pay $0 to complete your Early Childhood career qualification!

Traineeship for the Certificate lll in Early Childhood Education and Care 

Employment: Trainees must be employed, as a minimum, on part time contract for 15 hours per week.

Fee free: Complete your traineeship fee-free if you are under 25 years of age. 

Student Contribution Fees: If you are over 25 years of age, student contribution fees are charged at $1.60 per nominal hour for each unit in the CHC30121 Certificate lll in ECEC qualification.
The total course cost for 17 units is $1,980.50.

• These fees are able to be paid by a monthly payment plan or as agreed at enrolment in your arranged fee payment plan.
• The employer is able to pay these fees on the trainee's behalf by completing a fees payment agreement form. 
• Partial fee exemptions apply to eligible people.

School-based Traineeship for the Certificate lll in Early Childhood Education and Care  

Fee-free for Year 10 - Year 12 school students undertaking a school-based traineeship to complete this qualification.

Employment: School-based trainees usually work 7.5 hours per week in paid employment in a licensed early childhood service.

• These hours may be averaged over a 3 month period. Over the period of a year, the employer must provide at a minimum the equivalent of 375 hours (50 days) of paid employment. 
• They must have met the minimum paid employment requirement, over 24 months nominal completion duration - 100 days minimum (750 hours) to complete this traineeship.

Section 120 of the National Regulations requires the approved provider of a centre-based service must ensure that any educator at the service who is under 18 years of age:

(a) does not work alone at the service; and
(b) is adequately supervised at all times by an educator who has attained the age of 18 years.

Apprenticeship for the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care 

Employment: Apprentices must be employed, as a minimum, on part time contract for 15 hours per week.

Fee free: Complete your apprenticeship fee-free if you are under 25 years of age.

Fees: If you are over 25 years of age, student contribution fees are charged at $1.60 per nominal hour for each unit in the CHC50121 Diploma of ECEC qualification.
The total course cost for 15 units is $2,044.50.

• These fees are able to be paid by a monthly payment plan or as agreed at enrolment in your arranged fee payment plan.
• The employer is able to pay these fees on the trainee's behalf by completing a fees payment agreement form. 
• Partial fee exemptions apply to eligible people.
  
  

See full details about an Apprenticeship with First Door here. 

Who else is involved in an apprenticeship or traineeship program?

First Door as the Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and Skills Assure Supplier
First Door is Skills Assure Supplier, approved through the Queensland Government Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT) to provide subsidised:

• Apprenticeship training in the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
• Traineeship training for Certificate lll in Early Childhood Education and Care

Your workplace supervisor will support First Door in developing your practical skills at work. A workplace supervisor must be qualified to Diploma level, and be able to observe your related skills in the workplace before they are able to provide evidence of your practical skills in your training record folder.

Apprenticeship Network provider  
An Australian Network provider is your first point of contact for all queries about apprenticeships. They are contracted businesses by the Department of Education, Skill and Employment (e.g. MEGT, Sarina Russo and Busy at Work) and arrange your apprenticeship contract, with the apprentice, First Door, and your employer. The Australian Network provider also monitors your apprenticeship progress.

Department of Employment, Small Business and Training  (DESBT)
DESBT fund the Apprenticeship program and ensure all regulations are met in your training experience. 

Contact us or P: 07 3204 4336 to discuss Apprenticeship training with First Door

Government student payments to support you to study

Certificate lll in Early Childhood Education and Care 

Are you keen to become an educator and to start your career in Early Childhood, so that you can be part of seeing children flourish? 

Completing the Certificate lll in Early Childhood Education and Care is your first step... and we have good news! 

This course meets the requirements of an approved course, and First Door is an approved Education Provider to qualify for student payments from the Australian Government.

Student payments for eligible full time students

Student payments are paid fortnightly from Services Australia. They help with the financial costs of living, and some study expenses.
There are three main payments available:

• Youth allowance - for people under 25 years
• Austudy - for people over 25 years
• Abstudy - for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

Each payment has its own criteria you’ll have to meet, like your income and assets. Depending on your payment, Services Australia will look at if you’re independent from your parents or if you have a partner.

Here's a guide for how much money people get for student payment. There are additional support options with Covid-19.

Check your eligibility for student payment here

You can submit your student claim for Youth Allowance or Austudy online (and find out where it is up to). There's no need to call or visit a service centre.
To claim your student payment online, go to the ‘Students and trainees’ page on the Services Australia website at: www.servicesaustralia.gov.au

What does it mean to be a 'full time' student?

Studying the Certificate lll course with First Door as a full time student is based on completing 20 hours each week.

During this 20 hours per week, you will need to:

• use our student eLearning portal to build your professional learning by watching the video tutorials, and using the resources provided
• complete the assessment tasks in the assessment workbook, using the assessment guide videos to help you
• complete practical experience* in an Early Childhood service to put your learning into practice (this is a requirement to complete assessment tasks in many units)
• prepare for and engage in a mentoring meeting for each unit

*Note: During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have arranged this course so that you can get started without work placement for five of the course units.

The full time course duration is over nine months, based on a total of 720 hours. You will need to demonstrate your competence in all 18 course units before you are able to receive your course qualification.

Learn more about completing the Certificate lll in Early Childhood Education and Care with First Door.

More good news! Queensland Government funding is available for course fees

On top of all that good news... Our Certificate lll course is life changing

You will be supported to gain the required skills and knowledge, with practical workplace experience. Successfully completing this course is a gateway to employment along with further career and study opportunities. This is your opportunity to make a positive difference for children, their families and your own life.

Nationally Recognised Training

By choosing First Door as a Skills Assure provider, you will gain skills that are valued by the Early Childhood profession. To date, all of our students are successful in being employed while they are actively completing their career qualification with First Door.

Online courses for inspired practice

Do you want to be inspired to be your professional best as an Early Childhood educator or leader? Take the step towards providing exceptional education and care with our online courses.  
For full details and to register click on the course image below: