Blog

An engaged employee is one who is committed, loyal, hard-working, proactive and motivated. In other words, an engaged employee is the kind of employee you want working in your business, whether you’re in aged care, child care or any industry you can think of. Where do you discover this kind of employee engagement that’s going […]

Studying for a career in a meaningful industry where you can really make a difference is a goal for many, but you want to be sure there will be jobs available to you as well. Luckily, child care industry growth continues on an upward trajectory! The rise in demand for child care workers, educators and […]

 It’s one thing to read about working in early childhood education but getting in there and gaining hands-on experience is a vital part of your childcare course training. That’s why your childcare course is likely to have a practical placement component as a course requirement. It’s this real-world work experience that really enables our learners to graduate […]

If taking up VET training is on your to-do list, you’ve probably thought about how you’ll pay for it. What funding options are available for your childcare or aged care course and which are you eligible for?  Let’s summarise the options available to you when you undertake training so you can go ahead and choose the best funding option […]

Tax time has rolled around again and for anyone studying or planning to, it’s worth knowing what study expenses you can claim as deductions at the end of financial year. The Australian Tax Office makes it clear that you can claim many self-education deductions when you’re a student, as long as the course you are […]

What does it mean to be a leader in early childhood education? A genuine desire to contribute to the wellbeing and care of young children is usually the impetus for those seeking a leadership career within the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. You’re also going to need some key skills such as patience, […]

National Reconciliation Week takes place 27 May until 3 June and is an important time for us all to learn and reflect on our shared history as Australians. The dates are the same each year, marking the successful referendum in 1967 that paved the way for laws protecting the rights of Aboriginal people as equal […]

Investing in people, helping them to grow and to access career opportunities is of vital importance to us as trainers and educators. That’s why Selmar Institute of Education was part of a cross-sector collaboration with the Department of Jobs and Small Business, Calvary Community Care, a home care provider based in Mount Waverly, Victoria, and […]

 Play-based learning is at the heart and soul of Australia’s approach to early childhood education. And for good reason. Research shows that when it comes to optimal brain development in children, learning through play and exploration delivers results, going so far as to shape the structural design of the brain.    The Early Years Learning Framework defines play-based learning as […]

Students studying the Diploma of Early Childhood Education (CHC50113) at Selmar will now earn academic credits toward a Bachelor of Education with Swinburne Online, creating a pathway to university for Selmar learners.   Fast-tracking a Bachelor Degree in Education has never been more accessible. Credits earned through completion of the Diploma of Early Childhood Education will […]

Selmar teamed up with Goodstart Early Learning to host a careers session during March, which gave the attendees a chance to have a one-on-one interview that could lead to an early childhood educator job opportunity.   With Selmar early childhood education and care graduates holding the reputation for having the skills and confidence that make successful […]

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) released the results of their annual National Student Outcomes Survey in December last year – and the data highlights strong satisfaction from employers and VET graduates.   NCVER, which is the main supplier of research, statistics and data on Australia’s VET sector, surveyed 206,944 students – including […]

  The avoidance of infection outbreak and management to reduce its reach are high priority in any sector, but particularly when your work environment involves caring for some of the most vulnerable members of the community.   The right knowledge and practical skills are needed to protect those in your care from infection, and ensure that the outbreak’s risk of […]

Humans of Selmar: Melissa Walters Graduate & Centre Director // Goodstart Early Learning Torquay   With a love for children, a child care career was a natural choice for Melissa Walters, Centre Director of Goodstart Early Learning Torquay. Melissa’s career in child care started straight out of high school, completing a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education […]

Organisations which invest in the knowledge and skills of their people are rewarded with better business outcomes – and this is particularly true of the aged care sector. With a Royal Commission exploring aged care quality and safety in full swing, the spotlight is on this important industry which is set to care for a […]

     Humans of Selmar: Mei Lee Teoh Graduate & now Assistant Director // Guardian: Kids Time McKinnon When it comes to passion in the workplace, Mei’s love for her child care career is truly contagious. A qualified teacher in Malaysia, moving to Melbourne saw Mei ready to make a bit of a career shift and she […]

Start the New Year inspired with 15 good news stories you may have missed in 2018 Sometimes it is hard to feel optimistic at times in a world saturated by negative media, in particular social media and an abundance of ‘fake news’. When negative stories sell and are frequently served up on our screens, it’s […]

The Victorian state government as part of its recent election promises, is offering free TAFE on a selection of priority courses for eligible students across Victoria. Priority courses were determined for industries that have a high demand for skilled workers and includes over 30 priority non-apprenticeship courses and 20 apprenticeship pathway courses. A range of […]

Deciding on the course that’s right for your career path can be tricky enough, then there’s the other important decisions like how to choose between the online child care courses available to you. Don’t worry — while not all online courses are created equal, we’ve rounded up some essentials to look for when finding the […]

Christmas can be an exciting time, full of joy and festivities, so how can we celebrate with seniors in aged care? There are little things you can do in your aged care facility to harness the spirit of Christmas and put a smile on the faces of your residents. Channel the benefits of art therapy […]

As seen on catalysteducation.com.au Catalyst Education, one of Australia’s leading providers of high-quality vocational education and training (VET) in the important aged care, disability and early childhood education sectors has appointed Marcus Sellen as Chief Executive Officer. Catalyst Education is the corporate umbrella for Selmar Institute of Education. Marcus is a respected vocational education entrepreneur and practitioner […]

It was a fantastic opportunity to join like-minded industry professionals at the ‘Building a Quality Aged Care Workforce’ conference, with the shared aim that we are so passionate about – developing strategies to meet the workforce needs of the aged care industry   Creating positive change through collaboration in training and education   The future […]

When it comes to supporting the local community and giving people the opportunity to access a range of resources to achieve their goals, Melton South Community Centre gets it right. A hub for those looking for support groups or keen to take on short courses in a community group setting, Melton South Community Centre works […]

School readiness is a topic that the early childhood education industry is focused on enhancing, and for good reason — after all, childcare and kindergarten is where educators get the opportunity to give children the necessary tools to transition to life as schoolchildren! To support funded kindergarten programs in preparing children for the next stage […]

Everyone likes a win-win, don’t they? And supporting a team of employees in accessing professional development opportunities is just that. Professional development in child care is an investment into your business and its most important resource – its people.   Being proactive about building the skills of your workforce is a simple yet incredibly effective […]

As the aged care sector evolves at lightening pace a number of unique recruitment challenges have emerged. And with aged care booming, it is clear that the industry is set to become a huge employer in Australia. In fact, according to a Hesta report titled Transforming Aged Care, by 2050 the aged care workforce will […]

The most recent report from IBIS World on aged care residential services in Australia suggests that the aged care industry’s revenue is now worth more than $20bn – employing more than 256,000 Australians within over 1,800 businesses. These numbers may seem staggering, but this is only the beginning for aged care in Australia. In the […]

The month of October the Victorian Seniors Festival is on, and to honour this we’re highlighting some of the incredible feats achieved by the oldest people in our community. Senior simply means ‘of a more advanced age’, yet it can be attached to unflattering connotations – namely about being less capable. Flying in the face of this, […]

A look at aged care through the eyes of our trainers. Aged care trainers: Cheryl Peacock, Sally Forbes and Karen Richards It’s often said that working in aged care isn’t a job that’s chosen at random, instead, it’s a vocation – people have a strong feeling it’s what they are meant to do. Sometimes it […]

Professional development in early childhood education is something that we are passionate advocates of, and the ECMS Beyond Tomorrow Conference is an excellent example of what childcare services can do as a team to continue to build on their knowledge and skills and stay up to date in the industry. It all took place on August […]