The State Government's significant investment in free and low-fee training has almost doubled the number of early childhood education and care (ECEC) traineeships completed in the past year, helping to build the important sector's future workforce.
In the 12 months leading up to 30 April 2023, Western Australia recorded significant increases in ECEC traineeship commencements (up 37 per cent) and completions (up 94 per cent) compared to the same period last year.
This major boost for the sector comes as WA continues its track record of achieving high participation in training, on the back of the Cook Government's significant investment in targeted initiatives to support priority workforces like the ECEC sector. As traineeships are an employment-based training pathway, this means the sector has benefited from almost 2,400 new entrants in the past year and almost 800 skilled people having completed their training.
In response to feedback received as part of the 2021 Perth and Regional Skills Summit, the State Government introduced low-fee existing worker traineeships for the ECEC sector and other initiatives from 1 January 2022, to support the childcare industry to upskill existing workers.
A new Early Childhood Education and Care Job Ready program was also introduced in partnership with industry, and is providing entry-level candidates with a new pre-employment pathway into traineeships and jobs in the sector. In 2023, all new worker traineeships - including trainees in relevant ECEC qualifications - and all Job Ready programs are eligible for fee-free training through the FREE IN '23 initiative. This includes the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, Certificate IV in School Based Education Support, and Introduction to Early Childhood Education and Care Skill Set.
As a result, there have already been more than 4,650 fee-free enrolments in ECEC qualifications in WA this year. Based on results from the latest national Student Outcomes Survey, it is estimated that more than 90 per cent of students who completed a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care or Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care traineeship were employed or in further study after training.
The State Government's Lower fees, local skills initiative reduces course fees by up to 72 per cent for the Certificate III in School Based Education Support; Certificate IV in School Age Education and Care and Diploma of School Age Education and Care.