Person (employed)—level of highest qualification in early childhood education and care, code N[N]

Identifying and definitional attributes

• Early Childhood, Standard 01/06/2015

Value domain attributes

Representational attributes

Collection and usage attributes

Permissible values

CODE 1 Postgraduate degree

This level includes Doctorates and Masters Degrees, either by research or coursework.  Common entry requirements are completion of a Bachelor Degree (with or without Honours) and a qualifying year or equivalent, or a research based Graduate Diploma.

CODE 2 Graduate diploma and graduate certificate level

The Graduate Diploma is usually the equivalent of one year of full time study, while the Graduate Certificate is usually the equivalent of six months full time study.  Entry to a Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate is usually through satisfactory completion of a Bachelor Degree or an Advanced Diploma, and demonstrated potential to complete work at this level.  Postgraduate certificates and diplomas are also included in this category.

CODE 3 Bachelor degree (honours)

Honours is the extended period of study in a specialised field which is offered to students in some courses achieving outstanding results in a relevant discipline or demonstrating outstanding achievement in the early years of a Bachelor program.

CODE 4 Bachelor degree pass (4 years or equivalent)

Entry to this level is by various pathways which may include the completion of Year 12 or equivalent, or completion of a recognised program and/or recognition of prior learning. Four year university qualified refers to the length of the qualification if the whole program was studied full-time.

CODE 5 Bachelor degree pass (3 years or equivalent)

Entry to this level is by various pathways which may include the completion of Year 12 or equivalent, or completion of a recognised program and/or recognition of prior learning. Three year university qualified refers to the length of the qualification if the whole program was studied full-time.

CODE 6  Advanced diploma

Education at this level includes analysing information and concepts at an abstract level and executing judgements across a range of technical and management functions.  Entry to this level is by various pathways which may include the completion of Year 12 or equivalent, or completion of a recognised program and/or recognition of prior learning.

CODE 7 Diploma

Education at this level may also develop basic management or administrative skills.  Entry to this level is by various pathways which may include the completion of Year 12 or equivalent, or completion of a recognised program and/or recognition of prior learning.

CODE 8 Certificate level 3 or 4

Entry to this level is by various pathways which may include the completion of Year 10 or equivalent, or higher, or completion of a recognised program and/or recognition of prior learning.

CODE 9 Certificate level 1 or 2

Entry to this level is by various pathways which may include the completion of Year 10 or equivalent, or higher, or completion of a recognised program and/or recognition of prior learning.

CODE 10 Other certificate

Any certificate not covered by the previous two categories.

Supplementary values

CODE 97 Not applicable

Use this code when there is no qualification in an early childhood education and care related field.

Data element attributes

Collection and usage attributes

This item collects the highest level of early childhood education and care-related qualification attained by the worker. Only completed qualifications should be reported.

This item is only applicable to paid contact workers in early childhood education and care services.

The level of highest qualification reported should be in relation to the field of education relevant to early childhood education and care reported for the data element Education field of highest relevant qualification in early childhood education and care.

A Bachelor degree pass 3 or 4 year equivalent includes staff who have been deemed to have the necessary skills and qualifications to be employed as a qualified early childhood teacher.

‘Equivalent’ is defined as where certain employment and educational experience is deemed to be comparable to a certain level of qualification (i.e. a ‘grandfathered’ qualification). For example, an individual, or group of individuals, may have an early childhood diploma and 10 years’ experience, but the government department or regulatory agency has recognised the individual’s, or group of individuals’, qualifications as equivalent to a 3 or 4 year early childhood university degree.

Source and reference attributes

Early Childhood Data Sub Group (ECDSG) 

Relational attributes