News
26 August, 2026
Gallery: Goulburn students gain hands-on insight into early childhood careers
Students who took part in Goulburn’s early childhood education and care careers program have spoken about the confidence, practical experience and new career possibilities they gained from the initiative.
Students who took part in Goulburn’s early childhood education and care careers program have spoken about the confidence, practical experience and new career possibilities they gained from the initiative.
As reported by The Southern Wire earlier this week, the program gave local high school students an opportunity to learn about careers in early childhood education, meet people working in the sector and visit an early learning service.
Mulwaree High School Year 10 student Ella said participants learnt about the different pathways into the industry and how educators engage with children in a range of environments.
“We learnt a lot about pathway opportunities, how to engage with children in different environments and how to centre ourselves as childhood educators,” Ella said.
“We learnt about the pathways into early childhood and how there’s not one set-in-stone way to do it. You can go through school-based traineeships or get your certificate.”
Although Ella had previously been more interested in finance and business, she said the program had encouraged her to consider another possibility.
“I came to explore a different pathway,” she said.
“It has opened up more doors and given me another way to see if this is something I want to do.”
Goulburn High School Year 9 student Autumn said a visit to the Goulburn Academy of Early Learning allowed students to spend time with children from birth to five years of age and observe the different activities offered to them.
“We got to make playdough, the kids were playing with slime and we did lots of hands-on activities,” Autumn said.
“There were lots of different personalities among the children. Some were very outgoing, some were very shy and they all wanted different things.
“I engaged with the three-to-five-year-old room the most because they were a little more interactive. They wanted to talk and play more and weren’t so shy.”
Autumn said her interest in early childhood education had grown through spending time with her niece and nephew.
“I did want to be a vet when I was younger, but since I’ve had a nephew and niece, I’ve really experienced how children can be and how you can have an impact on their growth,” she said.
“I do want to go into some early childhood work when I’m older.”
Regional Industry Education Partnerships senior officer Sharon Locker-Lloyd said the program provided young people with valuable exposure to an industry experiencing significant workforce demand.
“This program is a fantastic opportunity to give young people in Goulburn real exposure to the early childhood education and care industry and help them understand the range of careers and pathways available locally,” Ms Locker-Lloyd said.
“There is a strong need for more people to enter the early childhood education workforce, particularly in regional communities like Goulburn.
“Programs like this allow students to explore the industry in a practical and engaging way, meet people working in the sector and see what these careers actually look like.”
Ms Locker-Lloyd said introducing students to the industry while they were still at school could encourage them to consider careers they may not otherwise have known about.
“For many students, you can’t be what you can’t see,” she said.
“Giving them this exposure while they are still at school can open their eyes to a career they may never have previously considered, while also helping to build the future workforce our local early childhood services need.”
ECTARC training and development officer Michelle Duncan said one of the program’s most encouraging outcomes had been the growth in participants’ confidence.
“We’ve just loved seeing how much the girls have grown in confidence,” Ms Duncan said.
“They were pretty quiet when they first walked in, but as the days have gone on, they have grown more confident and opened up about everything.
“There have been lots of questions. Once they had the hands-on experience, they started asking more about what it’s like working in a service and what they need to do next.”
Images thanks to NSW Department of Education
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