10/10? More like 22/22!!!

22 Students from trainer, Amrita Gurung’s latest CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care class gathered in Coburg early this month to celebrate their graduation success. All 22 students who started together completed together on the same day - 100% completion rate!

Our students’ praise for Amrita was incredible, along with their gratitude to all involved in their end-to-end student experience across all teams, and the additional support they received via the Victorian Government’s Early Childhood Tertiary Partnerships (ECTP) program. It was super clear the positive impact ECTP had on this cohort.

Many of the graduates had gone through huge life events or adverse life experiences while studying with us, yet they all crossed the finish line together. Here’s just a few examples of how VICSEG’s flexible and highly supportive training delivery model helped contribute to their success!

Two students in this cohort delivered babies while studying their Diploma yet received all the support they needed to persevere with their studies and complete!

“This course was extra special for me,” said one of the new mothers.

“My (newborn) son was in intensive care after delivery, so it was very hard for me. I went through depression at that time. But I engaged myself even more in this course. I was enjoying it. This course not only gave me knowledge. It gave me satisfaction and happiness during a really hard time. I was wanting to do this course for a long time but not getting support from anywhere. But when I enrolled with VICSEG, the course went very smoothly”.

“I didn’t feel alone. I didn’t feel like I’m a new mum taking care of a little baby alone, because everyone was very supportive. I mean everyone. The placement team, my trainer Amrita – she always helped me. I’d tell her sometimes, ‘I have to go (leave class) for my baby’ and she’d always say to me, ‘That’s fine’, and later she would explain (anything I had missed in class). I now telling anyone (wanting to study) that they should really go to VICSEG. You don’t only get the qualification and knowledge. If you are struggling, you get all the help you need. I did my earlier Certificate III with a different institute, but I really struggled there. But this was a smooth experience. I will always be grateful to VICSEG. It supported me so much. And to all the other students – I’m thankful to everyone. When my son was in intensive care, I’d sit next to him, still holding my books! (The nurses) would say to me, ‘How can you study right now?’. I’d say back to them, ‘Because I love it!’ The extra incentives and homework support (through ECTP) also helped me reach my goal.”

A second student, Amandeep, also delivered a baby while studying her Diploma.

“When I enrolled in the course, I was pregnant, and they said, ‘Really, are you sure you can do this?’ And I said, ‘No, I will be alright, I’m just going to miss two or three classes.’ I missed three classes following my delivery. Then after, I was thinking if I need to go to another class or start again to catch up the things. But I got that support (to catch up). Amrita would give me any readings I had missed, and ask me to go away, read, then come back to her. She was able to explain whatever I had missed,” she said.

At the celebration class, students were asked whether the option to study on Saturdays was an important factor in their graduation success. 22/22 students raised their hand.

“This is the opportunity that we all got because of the availability of a Saturday class,” said new graduate, Sundus.

“We got to do everything, and now we feel more confident in our own workplace. This is what we have gained from Amrita, the VICSEG team, and the support of the incentive program (ECTP)”.

“I’ve been working in early childhood industry for 15 years,” said another graduate.

“I’m very proud today. Having five children and working fulltime at the same time, studying Saturday was the only option for me. I’ve been waiting for the chance to get my Diploma for 15 years. And now, look. I got it. And it’s all because of this place. Now all I ask is if VICSEG can deliver the bachelor’s program also,” she said.

Funded by the Victorian Department of Education, VICSEG’s ECTP program aims to boost the size and diversity of the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) workforce through:

· Recruiting participants from the language groups and locations with the highest need for culturally responsive ECEC services

· Providing additional mentoring and other wraparound supports that help culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students to address and overcome common barriers to participation in training

· Highlighting ECEC as a flexible and desirable career pathway that frequently aligns with the life experiences, values, and existing skills of CALD women

· Debunking some of the unfortunate myths and attitudes that at times seek to devalue ECEC as a profession. We understand how our early childhood workforce provides real education to kids at the most crucial time in their development!

For more information on VICSEG's ETCP program, please contact Marwinn Bangan (Program Manager): mbangan@vicsegnewfutures.org.au

VICSEG is highly grateful to the Department of Education for this opportunity and ongoing support.