Early Childhood Trainee | BFS Shellharbour Early Learning

Big Fat Smile Group; Shellharbour City Council; On-site; AUD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Scholarships for studies

Study leave

Wellness & EAP

Job summary

BFS Shellharbour Early Learning in New South Wales is seeking an enthusiastic Early Childhood Trainee to begin a rewarding career in our supportive team. You will learn on the job while working towards your Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, caring for children aged 0–5 alongside experienced educators who will coach you.

This is a full-time, maximum-term 18-month role starting mid-late October 2026, located at Shellharbour.

Qualifications

• You have to be 18 years or older.
• No qualifications or experience is required. In fact, to be eligible, you can’t already hold a Certificate III or above in Early Childhood Education and Care.
• You need to be able to work full‑time hours.
• You’re passionate about creating better outcomes for local children, families and communities.
• Someone who can commit to making sure the children in our care are safe and healthy.
• A fun-loving attitude and big smile!

Responsibilities

• Right now, we're seeking an Early Childhood Trainee for BFS Shellharbour Early Learning. You will earn while you learn as you work towards your Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. In this role, you will work alongside, and be supported by, an experienced team of educators and teachers, educating and caring for children aged 0–5.

Job description

Early Childhood Trainee | BFS Shellharbour Early Learning

Join Our Team at BFS Shellharbour Early Learning| Early Childhood Trainee

Are you passionate about early childhood education and eager to begin your career in this rewarding field? BFS Shellharbour Early Learning is seeking an enthusiastic Early Childhood Trainee to join their team.

Position: Early Childhood Trainee
Start Date: Mid-Late October 2026
Location: BFS Shellharbour Early Learning, Shellharbour, NSW
Employment Type: Full-time, Maximum-term role (18 months)

There are lots of reasons why a role with us is rewarding

• Due to our size, there are big opportunities for those who want to go further. You’ll find meaningful career paths with opportunities for further development and promotions across our centres and head office.


• Professional learning and growth are at the heart of everything we do, from learning more about infant-toddler pedagogy, trauma responsive practice, cultural immersion and truth telling, to leadership through a neuroscience lens – these are some of the things our people have benefited from.


• Support to further your studies, such as scholarships, time off floor for coursework, study leave, paid prac and more.


• Save money with our Perks Hub which has great deals and discounts from over 500 major retailers and the biggest brands, including groceries, cinema tickets, clothing, homewares, tech, travel and more.


• Access to our Wellness Hub which has a wealth of curated content focused on your wellbeing, plus monthly health and wellbeing webinars, free flu vaccinations and more.


• A holistic approach to your wellbeing with our EAP, including confidential counselling, First Nations clinicians, health assessments, financial and legal support, and a dedicated manager hotline.


• Save with a 60% discount on early learning and care and out of school hours care services.


• Focus on what matters most because you have support from head office specialists and expertise, such as safeguarding, inclusion professionals, and pedagogy and practice specialists.

What Your Work Will Involve

Right now, we're seeking an Early Childhood Trainee for BFS Shellharbour Early Learning. You will earn while you learn as you work towards your Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. In this role, you will work alongside, and be supported by, an experienced team of educators and teachers, educating and caring for children aged 0–5. We do not expect you to have any prior skills or qualifications (we will teach you everything you need to know!), but you do need a passion for working with children and a commitment to building a career in the sector.

What You Need to Succeed

• You have to be 18 years or older


• No qualifications or experience is required. In fact, to be eligible, you can’t already hold a Certificate III or above in Early Childhood Education and Care


• You need to be able to work full‑time hours


• You’re passionate about creating better outcomes for local children, families and communities


• Someone who can commit to making sure the children in our care are safe and healthy


• A fun-loving attitude and big smile!

Our Commitment to Safeguarding Children

Safeguarding children is at the heart of every decision, policy and practice at BFS Children’s Services. And we have a zero tolerance towards child abuse, harm and neglect.

This starts with ensuring the people we select to work here will contribute to our child safe culture. So during the recruitment process we conduct a range of pre‑employment checks. To assist us with this, you will need:

• A cleared valid for paid work, NSW working with Children’s Check (WWCC)


• A cleared National Criminal Record Check


• Demonstrated commitment to protecting all children from abuse, harm and neglect.


• Demonstrated commitment to cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.


• Evidence of completion of the National Child Safety Training Foundation Course


• Details of a minimum two referees, where one must be a manager or supervisor at your current or most recent workplace.

At BFS Children’s Services we are deeply committed to Reconciliation and encourage Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to apply.

Big Smiles and Bigger Opportunities

We’re BFS Children’s Services. A not-for-profit that plays a pivotal role in the lives of thousands of children and families across Australia. We’re early education enthusiasts, with 40+ community preschools, long day care centres and fun clubs, and a variety of community and inclusion programs. Each one dedicated to giving every child the best start in life. And each well‑respected for the work it does.

Join us and you’ll be smiling too, when you make more of a difference.