TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:12): This morning Minister Blandthorn and I visited the fabulous staff and children at the Gowrie early learning centre in Carlton to announce eight grants of more than $6 million to support, develop and upskill early childhood educators. The government’s Best Start, Best Life reform and the switch to 30 hours of kinder means that we will need an extra 11,000 early childhood educators in Victoria by 2032. The grants I announced today from the skills and TAFE portfolio aim to reduce the shortage of workers in early childhood through new approaches to recruitment, making it easier for people to access training, improving training facilities and upskilling the current workforce. Early childhood education is currently in the top five most popular free TAFE courses, but we know that there is much more that needs to be done to ensure more people are encouraged to take up this important career.
It was fantastic to hear from current trainees today who are employed by Gowrie and supported by the Early Learning Association Australia, a grant recipient. Both Jacob and Tilly spoke about the benefit of being able to apply their learning directly in classrooms that they are working in. Both had left the retail industry to pursue a career in early childhood development. The rapport that Tilly and Jacob had was on full display, and it was clear to see on the faces of the children that they interacted with.
The Allan government will continue to address shortages in early childhood education to ensure the rollout of more kinder for Victorian families. This government is ensuring quality training for this important workforce, supporting the development of our youngest members of the community. Employment in early childhood education is not just a job, it is a skilled career – respected, professional and rewarding.