• Do you have a career dream to work in education, helping students to reach their fullest potential?
• Do you wish to become an Education Assistant to provide support to a qualified teacher in a classroom and be trained in how to assist students in their learning and development from Kindergarten to Year 12, including students with additional needs?
• A recent graduate of CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support or a course similar and would like to progress your skills and training further? 

Then this is the course for you.

To make an informed choice about the suitability of this course, please consider the essential skills and knowledge below. You must: 

• Want to work with people. Primarily children with one-on-one and group support in English fluency and assisting children with additional needs.
• Have a kind and energetic nature.
• Show tolerance, patience and the willingness to work with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, across various age ranges - children, colleagues and parents.
• Have well-developed observational skills to be able to identify changes in behaviour, abilities and environment.
• Demonstrate well-developed communication, writing and active listening skills to liaise and work with a range of people.
• Be able to deal with the physical demands of manual tasks involved in child education work. This may include shifting educational and play equipment.
• Have effective planning and problem-solving skills. The ability to respond to immediate safety risks.
• Have a sound understanding of the importance of personal and professional boundaries.
• Be adaptable to meet a wide range of school aged students’ needs.
• Have an open-minded non-judgemental approach.
• Be able to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Can take directions and follow instructions.
• Demonstrate appropriate ethical behaviour.

This course provides training towards work in a range of education support areas. Please consider the following carefully before enrolling. Some units within this course may be triggering if you have experienced trauma, mental health challenges, family and domestic violence, risk of suicide and/or other crises. Please ensure you have sufficient support networks for the duration of your study. Support is also available through South Regional TAFE Student Services, who can direct you to our student support services, including Counsellors, Aboriginal Services, and Disability Services.

Time Commitment – You will need to allocate appropriate time to complete this course. This includes attending classes on-site and/or online as outlined in the study mode; undertake independent study outside of class hours, including private study, assessment preparation, and research to successfully complete this course; and complete the work placement.

You will need to complete:

• 100 hours of mandatory supervised work placement, in a suitable environment, that provides the services in this selected area of study. South Regional TAFE will arrange this suitable work placement within the industry for you.
• Working With Children Check (WWCC), prior to work placement. Only required if you are over 18 years old. This will incur an additional cost. To find out more about a WWCC click here.
• If work placement is at a Department of Education school, a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) through the Department of Education WA, prior to work placement. No other police clearances will be accepted. Only required if you are over 18 years old. This clearance will incur an additional cost. To find out more about this clearance click here and a WA Department of Education Confidential Declaration Form.
• If work placement is at a Catholic Education WA (CEWA) or independent school, a National Police Clearance, may be required prior to work placement. Only required if you are over 18 years old. This clearance will incur an additional cost. To find out more about this clearance click here.
• Attendance at the work placement regularly and reliably.
• Travel to and from the suitable work environment to complete work placement.
• Work placement at times that may be outside of standard South Regional TAFE student hours.

Below are some of the important personal skills you will be required to develop and demonstrate during training. These skills are highly valued by industry. 

• Respectful Communication - Connect with people from diverse backgrounds, share ideas effectively and build trust and strong relationships. Have an ability to converse with children, colleagues and parents in English.
• Teamwork – Collaborate with other staff, show them respect, and be open to feedback.
• Problem Solving - There is always a solution. How do you respond to a challenge? If you spot a problem, we encourage you to ask questions, clarify as needed, and respond appropriately within your scope of practice.
• Initiative - Stay motivated, take proactive steps, and seek help when necessary. Implement planned education programs including literacy and numeracy. Facilitate school students learning and development.
• Leadership and Business Skills – Source and analyse information from diverse sources. Work on occasion with limited direct supervision. Provide guidance to colleagues.
• Planning - Manage time well. Knowing how to prioritise and completing your tasks efficiently are crucial for your success.
• Self-Management - Reflect on your performance. Reflection is a powerful tool for growth and success as a student at South Regional TAFE. Being a professional in the workplace can mean learning when to accept responsibility for your failures as often as your successes. This is how we learn! Ethical behaviour is essential in your work.
• Learning – Recognise what your strengths already are. Then embrace all the new knowledge and experience from your South Regional TAFE journey to grow as a student. As a school-based education support worker you will implement planned education programs including maths and literacy. Support responsible school student behaviour. Support school students with additional needs and disabilities. Contribute to the safety and health of school students. Work with children and young people at risk of harm. Support the implementation of behaviour plans.
• Technology - Adapt to new tools, access digital resources, and integrate technology into your work, including using the Microsoft Suite of applications through Office 365.