The State Government has released an action plan to further support the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce in regional Western Australia. The Workforce Action Plan addresses nine recommended strategies put forward by the State Training Board's Regional Early Childhood Education and Care Report.
The State Training Board is the Government's chief advisory body on WA's training and workforce needs. Implementing new training opportunities to help build a pipeline of skilled childcare educators remains a key priority for the State Government. According to the ABS Labour Force Survey, as of February 2023 an estimated 14,600 Western Australians are employed as child care workers or child care managers. Over the past 12 months the estimated number employed in these occupations has increased by 1,600.
Many of the initiatives put forward to support the training and development of skilled workers in early childhood education are already underway, including: funding local government grants to help attract and retain childcare workers as part of the State Government's $5.1 million election commitment to improve access to early childhood education and care in regional WA; providing low-fee existing worker traineeships for key early childhood education and care qualifications to help the sector address the need to upskill its workforce; and introducing an Early Childhood Education and Care Job Ready program, which provides entry-level candidates with a pathway into traineeships and jobs in the industry.
Job Ready programs are a fresh approach to short course training that can lead to direct employment. Prepared in collaboration with Community Skills WA, the State Training Board's Regional Early Childhood Education and Care Report was informed by extensive consultation with the regional early childhood education and care sector.
The report and the State Government's Workforce Action Plan are available on the State Training Board's website: https://www.stb.wa.gov.au