On the 23rd of January, 2020 eight childcare graduates from Daedong College in Busan, Korea came to UPC for a 3-month childcare RPL/gap training program. The supposedly normal journey has become a great challenge for both students and UPC due to COVID 19 pandemic. With consistent effort and desire for long-life learning, all students have completed the training on time. Six of them returned home on June 6th, 2020 while the other two stay in Australia to pursue their working holiday program.
– On their arrival in Sydney, the COVID-19 blew out in Daegu, only 93 kms far from their hometown.
– As a caution, UPC arranged for the eight to self-isolate for 2 weeks. They started the training in mid February.
– On March 5th, travel from Korea was banned and social distancing was then applied in all Australian colleges.
UPC could arrange one day per week in-class learning (The other two days were for online lessons). Therefore, there was no issue of learning theoretical component of the course
– After completing 60 of 120 hours of mandatory work placement in late March, students are required to complete another 2-week work placement in May. However, most childcare centres refused to accept students for workplace training from late April!
– UPC has worked hard to persuade Only About Children Childcare Centre of Redfern to accept this special group to complete the other 60 hours of workplace training in May 2020.
– Great thanks are for Motia, our work placement coordinator and Debbie, our trainer who have worked very hard to secure students’ workplace training, deliver the course and guide the group.
– Last but not least, thanks are for Mr Mark Kerr, Director of the Only About Children Childcare Centre of Redfern who generously provided work placement for the group.
