Jobs and Skills Australia has published its report on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) – providing evidence, insights, and recommendations to support the current and future ECEC workforce.
The study is a comprehensive look at the sector, detailing 28 key findings and making 41 recommendations. Based on detailed workforce modelling and extensive stakeholder engagement, the recommendations focus on addressing current challenges and building strong foundations for rewarding ECEC careers.
The report shows current workforce levels are not sustainable – with the current workforce needing to grow by 8 per cent to meet sustainable staffing levels and a further 8 per cent growth required to address unmet demand for services.
The study found that early childhood education needed to better serve diverse families and their communities, including culturally and linguistically diverse communities in regional and remote areas, and neurodiverse children and those with disabilities. The study also noted First Nations leadership of education and training providers had been shown to make a significant difference to access and success of First Nations students.
