Early Childhood Workforce initiatives

The Australian Government’s commitment to early childhood is backed by an ambitious and comprehensive plan to improve the quality of education offered to our youngest Australians.

A well-trained early childhood education and care workforce is essential in fostering the best outcomes for children. Research has shown that trained and qualified early childhood educators provide higher quality early learning experiences for children.

An increasing number of children are accessing early childhood education and care services each year, increasing the demand for qualified early childhood professionals.

The Australian Government has implemented a number of initiatives aimed at supporting, training and retaining an experienced and qualified early childhood workforce:

Recognition of Prior Learning
In the 2011–12 Budget the Australian Government announced $9.2 million for a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) package to improve the quality and uptake of RPL assessments for early childhood professionals. The RPL package will make it easier for experienced early childhood workers to obtain or upgrade their qualifications.

HECS-HELP Benefits
The 2008-09 Budget committed $12.4 million to reduce by about half the HELP debt of early childhood teachers who work in regional and remote areas, Indigenous communities and areas of high disadvantage based on postcode location.

Removal of TAFE fees
From 2008-09 to 2013-14 $115 million is available to support over 8 000 people per year, including existing early childhood educators , to gain a vocational education and training qualification in early childhood. The funding will be used to remove regulated course fees for diplomas and advanced diplomas in Children’s Services, delivered by a TAFE institute or other government training provider.

Additional early childhood education university places
1500 additional Commonwealth supported university places have been created for students wishing to undertake early childhood teacher qualifications.  The places cover four year undergraduate degree courses and postgraduate courses, allowing graduates with an existing degree to gain a recognised qualification in early childhood education.

Early Years Workforce Strategy
The Australian Government is working with states and territories to develop a national Early Years Development Workforce Strategy. This strategy is looking at the early childhood education and care workforce. In particular, the strategy will complement and build upon existing Commonwealth, state and territory government measures aimed at improving the supply and quality of the early childhood education and care workforce.

Early Childhood Workforce Best Practice and Innovation Project
The Early Childhood Workforce Best Practice and Innovation Project was established to provide one-off modest seed funding for projects aimed at exploring best practice or innovative models to support workforce development.

Early Childhood workforce research and reports