Blog

Deciding on a career can be challenging, and when it comes to committing to the years and financial expense of a university degree, the pressure to make the right choice can be overwhelming.   One in five uni students dropping out According to the Department of Education figures, up to one in five university students […]

We all know it’s important to take work seriously – a career in child care means a lot of responsibility. After all, you’re looking after young children and playing a role in shaping their future. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a laugh on the job too… In fact, working in child care is […]

When you’re planning your approach to incorporating study and training into your life, there’s a lot to think about. Heading on campus is one training delivery mode option that deserves consideration. To help you get to know what you’re in for when you head to our Melbourne campus, let’s get to know it a little […]

When it comes to amazing, rewarding careers, we think working in childcare is the best. You often hear what a rewarding job it is working with children, but have you ever wondered WHY it’s so rewarding? We’ve narrowed it down to three reasons that explain why working in childcare really is so rewarding.   1. […]

When you work in child care you can feel pretty lucky – working with children is one of the most rewarding jobs you will find. Of course, we have personal lives to enjoy as well. Thankfully, working in the early childhood industry allows you to enjoy all the rewards of a job you love while […]

Too often you hear about friends or family members studying something they love and then continuing to work in a job that is irrelevant to their passion. It’s easy to feel disheartened and to start to think that getting qualified doesn’t lead to a career… It could even put you off studying altogether. Thankfully, training […]

Did you know that some of the most significant wiring of our brains occurs in our first five years of life? According to the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), at age three a child has approximately 1000 trillion brain connections (also known as synapses). By the time they hit adolescence the number is halved and […]

  Allergies in children and allergic reactions can be quite serious so it’s important to understand what they are and how to spot them. What is an allergy? According to the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, an allergy occurs when the immune system reacts to a substance (allergen) in the environment which is […]

We sat down with a few of our early childhood trainers and asked them about their experience in the industry. You can also read back on the heart-melting responses to “What’s the cutest thing a child has ever said to you?” This round, we asked “What’s do you wish someone had told you before your […]

Professional development is a great way to develop your skills and knowledge as an educator, expand your learning community and continuing pushing for excellence in early childhood. Selmar offers a wide selection of early childhood and community sector courses through workplace training. This allows you to enjoy flexibility and individually tailored study during office hours. […]

What’s the cutest thing a child has ever said to you? We sat down with a few of our early childhood trainers and asked them about their experience in the industry. We’re posting a series of their responses with the cutest things children say. You can read our trainers’ thoughts on what it takes to […]

Holistic learning is about equally nurturing the physical, social, emotional and cognitive development of children – ensuring not to focus on only one part of a child’s learning, but treat all these aspects equally. Children often mirror the adults around them. This means it’s important as educators to demonstrate positive behaviour to support them to […]

More than one in nine Australian children are affected by asthma1. This figure highlights the importance of asthma management in child care as most child care services deal with asthmatic children every day. People suffering from asthma may need daily support from parents and carers. In extreme cases, if not treated properly, asthma attacks can […]

Around one in seven Australians suffer from hay fever, or allergic rhinitis1. Children suffer from it too, and this means you’ll probably come across hay fever in child care settings. Despite its name, it is not caused by hay nor does it produce a fever! It is caused by allergens, such as pollen, dust, mould and […]

We are what we eat. Healthy eating habits for children and the right nutrition ensures our body performs at its peak. For young children, nutrition also helps growth and development. For healthy eating to become a habit for children, encourage them to become familiar with every stage of the process; from selection, through preparation, eating […]

Social media for child care is a fast and effective way to communicate to your families, local community and even potential staff. It’s your chance to put your digital footprint on an online world through a virtual community of like-minded people. If you’re thinking about a social media strategy for your early childhood education centre, […]

At Selmar Early Childhood Education Institute, all our trainers are experienced educators. We can’t even begin to calculate how many books they’ve each read in all their years on the floor! We asked our trainers for their favourite books in child care centres, and have compiled a list of the top picks. The clear winner was The Very […]

While everyone undertaking a child care course or an aged care course has to undertake work placement, there are ways to really make the most of this experience. When on work placement, it is important to be actively engaged with your environment to ensure you truly learn from experienced educators at your placement centre. When searching […]

Because UV radiation can’t be seen or felt, we can’t always rely on our senses. Don’t just wait for a hot and sunny day to check the sun protection times from the weather section of the newspaper, Bureau of Meteorology website or via the SunSmart website and app. Daily sun protection times are issued whenever […]

Where is YOUR career heading? Which early childcare education and care course interests YOU? These are two very important questions to consider when determining the right child care course and training provider.  However what becomes apparently clear from these two questions is the importance of “you” in the picture.  It is all about you.   You […]

Early childhood education is a very rewarding career choice. It is also a very important job because you are supporting the development of children, to create confident and keen learners. However contradictory information regarding industry requirements and the thought of a study debt puts people off choosing early childhood education as a career. If you […]

In April of this year, the Education Ministers, both state/territory and federal met at the Standing Council on School education and Early Childhood (SCSEEC) to discuss a number of reforms felt necessary in the area of education and care services for children. The focus of the reforms as to the Education and Care Services National […]

There is no doubt that working in the childcare industry provides a rich and rewarding experience, whether employed as a long day care educator, nanny, working as a kindergarten assistant or as a playgroup supervisor. And, as educators making a difference is part of every day. As an early childhood educator, you work alongside children […]

First aid qualifications, anaphylaxis qualifications and emergency asthma management qualifications vary slightly across education and care service types. At centre based services, for all times that children are being educated and cared for, there must be at least one educator who: holds current approved first aid qualifications. has undertaken currently approved anaphylaxis management training. has […]

If you have just finished your schooling and you’re not sure what you want to do next, but you know you want to work with children, study a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care — it can really take you places. Perhaps you’re thinking of travelling overseas for a while but you don’t have the funds […]