jillandsi

Hi, I came out as a child care co-ordinator with an NNEB and an ADCE. I don't know about other states but I used www.communities.wa.gov.au to get my qualifications assessed. It had a section for NNEB and NVQ and one for other qualifications (I think), I can't imagine your NVQ's will count if they are only for teaching assistant and not the full child care ones.
However the foundation degree (which is better then my ADCE) will get you an A* for work in private day care (the top rating that I got, you need it to work as a manager). To work as a teaching assistant none of your qualifications matter as most jobs don't require a formal qualification, there is, however a qualification that you can get here if some private schools wanted you to have it.
I was always told that I would need to do the course to get it (12 weeks) but having contacted the education offices I can just be assessed and get recognised on my UK quals and experience.
If you have enough time I would reccommend doing your PGCE to tag onto the end of your BA which would then qualify you as a teacher (you may have to check re assessing UK to OZ teaching quals), the BA here incorporates teaching practice into the course so you come out with the full teaching qual, maybe you could look at getting prior learning recognition and finishing their course here.
The system here is not really set up for nursery nurses to get more quals/better positions/better pay, they either work as an assistant in a school or become a manager of a day nursery. If you want more you need to be a teacher.
By the way you'll still need another way of getting a visa (don't even know if being a teacher would get you one)
Hope this helps

Jillian

orient

Many thanks for your advice. I really appricate that. I am due to finish the BA next month, and was considering doing an Early years professional status, which takes a year. but thanks for your feedback emma