Local campus, real support and an early childhood job offer just two days into placement

After raising her children and running a wedding invitation business from home, Tweety Thuy knew it was time to do something for herself. For years, she had wanted to work in early childhood education. With her kids now at school, the timing finally felt right. 

Tweety enrolled in the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care CHC30121 at Melbourne Polytechnic. It was an easy decision as the Epping campus was close to home and familiar to her. 

“I studied here before, when it was still called NMIT. I’ve wanted to study early childhood for eight years. Now, all my kids’ schools are local, within 10 minutes. It’s the perfect location.” 

Before starting the course, Tweety had been running a printing business out of her garage since 2021, creating wedding invitations and balancing life with young children. After seeing the positive impact early childhood educators had on her own daughter, she felt inspired to follow that path herself. 

“After seeing all the educators with my daughters, I realised I’d worked with kids a lot over the years. I thought ‘I need to do this at some point in my life’.” 

Coming back to study in person felt like the right fit for Tweety. While many of her friends chose to study online, she knew she needed more support. 

“A lot of my friends studied online, but I needed in-person support and my teacher was great.” 

She found the classes engaging and loved how interactive the course was. 

“It’s a lot of fun. We got to be children in role plays and remember what it was actually like to be children. It made me think about what they need from us and how different it is for them in the world.” 

Students in the course also complete a practical placement, which is where Tweety’s journey took an exciting turn. Just two days into her placement, she was offered a job. She now works two shifts a week and has already moved on to study the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education.

Tweety credits her teachers for giving her the support and confidence to keep going. 

“I know I’ll always have the support from my teachers. I know if I need them, they’re an email or phone call away.” 

Both the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care CHC30121 and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care CHC50121 are Free TAFE courses, and part of the Victorian Government’s Free TAFE Priority Pathways. That means eligible students can complete both qualifications tuition-free, building a pathway into a rewarding, essential career. 

Inspired by Tweety’s story? Explore how you can start your own early childhood education journey and apply today.