About ACEC
The Australian Community Education College (ACEC) is a Registered Training Organisation (no 91797) specialising in Early Childhood Education and Care.
The Australian Community Education College (ACEC) is a Registered Training Organisation, developed by Matthew Stapleton from Centre Support.
Matthew holds Tertiary Qualifications in Adult Education and has worked in child care for the past fifteen years.
In recent years Matthew has observed that the child care industry struggles to retain high quality, qualified staff as new services continue to increase rapidly across Australia. Our aim is to bring quality care back into early childhood through the training and upskilling of childcare professionals.
We appreciate that for high quality to occur, it is imperative that thoroughly trained and well experienced educators have the fundamental skills to be competent in their roles. It isn’t simply knowledge; it’s the set of skills individuals develop that will bring back quality. Hence the development of ACEC to bring back quality-trained educators through our innovative and bold approach to teaching and training.
ACEC currently offers nationally recognised training in:
- CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
- CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
- CHCPRT025 Identify and report children and young people at risk
We also offer Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for suitable candidates. RPL is a great way of gaining your nationally recognised qualifications if you have been in the industry for a number of years and have not previously gained a formal qualification.
To find out more, or if you are interested in undertaking further studies, please contact us today.
ACEC prides itself on delivering innovative training and assessment services. Our experienced team of trainers, assessors, support staff and management will be working with you to ensure you achieve your goals across the duration of your studies.
The ACEC Team
Thomas Hill
CEO
Tom's expertise in business administration and postgraduate qualifications in Marketing have been the foundation for his success in the Early Childhood Education and Care and Vocational Education and Training sectors. His strategic thinking has led to the development and implementation of innovative plans that have resulted in the growth and expansion of businesses he has been involved in. Tom understands the importance of remaining an industry leader. His focus on strategy development and implementation has been central to this objective, ensuring his organisations are always at the forefront of the latest trends and technologies, keeping them competitive and relevant.
Tom's experience in the Federal Government has proven to be an asset in his liaison with funding and regulatory authorities. Tom's strategic approach has allowed his organisations to remain compliant with regulatory changes, ensuring their continued success and growth in the industry. Under Tom's leadership, his organisations have continued to innovate and set new standards in the Early Childhood Education and Care and Vocational Education and Training sectors.
Matthew Stapleton
Director
Matthew Stapleton is a committed professional with a passion for enhancing vocational education and training for early career educators. With a strong background in education, design, and psychology, he has dedicated 23 years to working in the early childhood education and adult education sectors. Matthew's experience includes working as a Head Teacher with TAFE NSW and as a teacher with the Department of Education NSW and Early Childhood Teacher.
As the owner of two high-quality early childhood education and care centres, Matthew has an in-depth understanding of the challenges that educators and students face daily. He leverages his expertise and experience to guide and support students to achieve the best possible outcomes. With more than 800 direct visits and collaborations with centres across Australia, Matthew has trained over 50,000 educators through seminars, training sessions, and conferences. He is also a published author and illustrator of children's books about creativity called Wonder Wits, which have sold over 200,000 copies worldwide, and more recently, is the co-author of Babies in Groups: Expanding Imaginations. His work extensively explores how children experience belonging through group dynamics, outdoor risky play, and their connection to the environment. Matthew's expertise is grounded in evidence-based practices and years of scholarly contribution.
Matthew is committed to improving the quality of vocational education and training for early career educators and is dedicated to supporting the early childhood education and care sector to achieve their educational and professional goals.
Danielle Roden
Administration Coordinator
Dani’s background is in Early Childhood Education and Care, where she started her career as a Certificate III Trainee Educator and moved through various roles and centres to become a Centre Director.
After having her beautiful family Dani joined ACEC where she loves being the first point of contact for students and Centre Directors and helping support students in their enrolment through to completion of their qualifications.
Mark Tippett JP
RTO Compliance Manager
Mark has 24 years of experience working in Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), following an earlier career in commercial art and graphic design. He has gained extensive expertise in training and assessment design, RTO management and quality systems across sectors as diverse as Business, Community Services, Health, Screen and Media, and Visual Arts. Additionally, Mark is an accredited proofreader and copy editor, a published author, and continues his work as a professional artist
Michaela Glynn
Trainer and Assessor
Michaela has worked in the Early Childhood Sector for 31 years in private, council and work-based centres, Preschools, Occasional Care Centres. She’s been a nanny both in Australia and London as well as a Director for three Early Learning Centres in Sydney and a Co-ordinator for an After School and Vacation Care centre and was also the Director / Area Manager for a Child Care centre in Dubai.
She has been a trainer and assessor in vocational education for the past 10 years. Michaela’s aim is to contribute toward getting great educators out into the industry and role model best practices for other educators.
Tara Odgers
Trainer and Assessor
Tara enjoys nothing more than supporting students to become confident in their abilities and working in a team with like-minded people who want to create supportive, individualised, and unique learning opportunities for students.
She has been in the Early Childhood sector from the moment she left school. During this time, key roles have included LCD, mobile preschools, before and after school care, an autism specific service as a ESDM therapist and then as a trainer for Centre Support before joining ACEC in 2022.
Eliana Tepe
Trainer and Assessor
Eliana has worked in the Early Childhood sector for 32 years where she has worked in private, government and catholic based long day care, crèche, out of school hour care and vacation care programs. She has also worked as an assessor and validator across Australia in OSHC and Vacation Care programs. She enjoys working with all age groups and presently mentors several Directors.
She’s been involved in training and assessing in Registered Training Organisations for 13 years. Eliana loves being able to share her vast knowledge and skills and seeing students succeed to become the best they can be in the industry.
Narelle Thompson
Trainer and Assessor
Narelle has over 20 years of experience in early childhood education, excelling in roles like mentoring, quality and compliance support, and training. She’s passionate about creating a nurturing, inclusive environment, tailoring her approach to inspire and guide future educators. At ACEC, she plans to focus on making learning enjoyable and meaningful, ensuring students feel supported and engaged in their educational journey.
