Childcare - Early Learning & Care

Our new Early Learning and Care Level 5 programme is designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to care for and educate children from birth to six years old.

To enrol in the Early Learning and Care program, you should have at least an Ordinary Level Leaving Certificate or an equivalent level of education or experience. If English is not your first language, or if you have not been primarily educated in English, you will need to demonstrate a suitable level of English proficiency before starting the program. This means achieving an English level equivalent to an IELTS score of 5.5 or another recognised international English language test. You will be required to provide evidence of your English proficiency as part of the application process. Garda vetting Garda Vetting is a legal requirement under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 for the vetting of persons carrying out work with children or vulnerable persons. Students will be sent a vetting application to complete upon enrollment, however if you have recently completed a vetting application, then there is no requirement to complete this with the college. Students who have spent more than 6 months living outside of Ireland will need to provide a copy of their Police Clearance Certification for all international addresses that they have lived at, before starting placement.