Compare Cert 3 Early Childhood Training Providers in the Australian Capital Territory

Cert 3 early childhood in the ACT follows the same national qualification as everywhere else, but the territory has its own regulator, its own background check scheme and its own funded training initiative called Skilled Capital. This page sets out what the ACT Government says about each of them, with links to the official sources. It also shows how to use the comparison table if you live in the Australian Capital Territory.

Compare Cert 3 early childhood training providers in the ACT

The table lists the training providers we have researched for the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC30125). For most of them we could not confirm from public information which states and territories they serve, so the same list appears on every state and territory page. Use each row to prompt a question: does this training provider take students in the ACT, and does its published fee apply to me?

If you plan to study from home, our page on online study options explains the formats and the parts of the course that still take place in person.

The ACT regulator

The ACT Government states that Children’s Education and Care Assurance is the regulatory authority for education and care services. It acts under the Education and Care Services National Law and the Children and Young People Act 2008. The qualification requires at least 160 hours of work in a regulated children’s education and care service, so this is the authority that oversees the kind of service where you will complete your placement. You can find more on the ACT Government’s page about obligations in early childhood education and care.

Working with Vulnerable People in the ACT

The ACT does not describe its check as a working with children check in the sources we reviewed. The relevant law is the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011. The ACT Government states that it requires all people working and volunteering in early childhood education and care services to have a background check and to be registered to work with vulnerable people.

An ACT information sheet from the National Child Safety Reforms sessions states that from 27 February 2026 individuals must hold a valid clearance before they start work in a service. Read the official information sheet for the exact wording. Ask your training provider when it expects your clearance to be in place for your work placement.

Skilled Capital and Cert 3 early childhood

Skilled Capital is described on the ACT Government website as a government funded training initiative. The page for the 2025-26 release lists Sureway Skills Training against the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. The same page states that expressions of interest for the 2025-26 release have now closed.

Please note two points. First, the list is for the 2025-26 release, so it may not describe what is available to you today. Second, Sureway Skills Training is not one of the training providers in our table, and a listing on the Skilled Capital page is not a statement about any training provider in our table. Availability and eligibility are decided by the ACT Government and by the training organisation. Read the Skilled Capital page and confirm the details directly. Our free and subsidised study guide compares the programmes in every state and territory.

Questions to ask before you enrol

• Do you take students in the ACT, and does the published fee apply to me?
• Is a Skilled Capital place available now, and who delivers it?
• Who finds the 160-hour work placement, and does it cost extra?
• When must my clearance to work with vulnerable people be in place?
• What does the course cost, and what might sit outside the fee? Our cost guide explains the fees that we show.

Nearby jurisdictions and related pages

The ACT is surrounded by New South Wales, so you may want to read the page for New South Wales. You may also want to read about Victoria. To see every training provider and every column together, return to the full comparison.