ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014

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Contents

© Australian Capital Territory Canberra 2012 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the Territory Records Office, ACT Government. ACT Publication No. 12/0079 May 2012 Enquiries about this publication should bedirected to:

A Message from the ACT Community Services Minister

1

The ACT Children’s Services Forum

2

ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014

3

ACT Government initiatives

4

Objective 1

Attract new educators

5

Objective 2

Retain exisiting educators

6

Objective 3

Develop workforce skills

7

Objective 4

Raise the profile of the sector in the ACT community

8

Review

9

National initiatives

9

ACCESSIBILITY ACT Government is committed to making information, services, events and venues, accessible to as many people as possible. If you have difficulty reading a standard printed document and would like to receive this publication in an alternative format — such as large print or audio — please telephone 6205 0619.

Children’s Policy and Regulation Unit Community Services Directorate | ACT Government GPO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2601

If English is not your first language and you require the translating and interpreting service — please telephone 13 14 50.

Telephone Email Web

If you are deaf or hearing impaired and require the TTY typewriter service — please telephone 6205 0888.

6207 1114 [email protected] www.dhcs.act.gov.au

ACT Interpreter Service — for the deaf and blind — please telephone 6287 4391.

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A Message from the Minister Community Services The ACT’s education and care services are vital to the children and families of the ACT. Providing access to high quality educators is the most effective way to help all children reach their potential.

A skilled workforce is essential to not only delivering high quality education and care services but also to achieving the best outcomes for children and their families. Young children thrive in nurturing and safe environments where they are exposed to stimulating play based learning experiences. The ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014 supports the development of a highly skilled and professional education and care workforce. While the workforce has grown considerably in recent years and its qualification profile has improved, there remains a significant task ahead to ensure that all educators in the sector are able to meet qualification requirements of the National Quality Framework. The framework commenced on 1 January 2012 and sees the introduction of new, improved educator to child ratios and qualification requirements for educators. It also introduces a quality assessment and rating process to ensure services are able to identify continuous quality improvement and families have better access to information about the quality of their service. The framework’s focus on enhancing the professionalism of the sector complements the aims of this strategy and the ACT Government is resourcing the sector to meet these aims. That is why I am committed to supporting the sector to embrace these changes — for example through a $60 million education and care package announced in 2011. The strategy will: ■ lead to better education and care for children ■ guide the ongoing professional development of educators ■ be a partnership between government, the sector and individuals that represents how we should work together. Through the National Quality Framework and the ACT Government’s historic investment we will develop teams of passionate and committed educators to ensure that ACT families access the best possible education and care services for their children. Joy Burch MLA Minister for Community Services May 2012 ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014

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The ACT Children’s Services Forum The ACT Children’s Services Forum is a meeting of peak representatives for the ACT education and care sector and is chaired by the ACT Minister for Community Services Joy Burch MLA. The forum represents the broad range of services across the ACT — long day care, family day care, school age care, public preschool units and independent preschools — and is a mechanism to bring together the ACT education and care sector for collaborative action on issues effecting the sector. Workforce is an ongoing issues for the education and care sector not just locally but across the nation. The forum appreciates the important role a highly skilled and educated workforce has on services provided for the ACT’s children. The forum is working with the ACT Government and the sector to identify strategies and initiatives to address workforce issues specific to the ACT education and care sector. This workforce strategy has been developed utilising all the feedback from the sector through two Children’s Services Roundtables held in 2011, hosted by the Minister for Community Services. A number of initiatives are already being progressed and the education and care sector is on track to achieve the National Quality Framework qualification requirements which will come into effect in 2014.

We would like to commend the forum for adopting such an active approach to addressing the considerable workforce issues that our sector faces and appreciate the practical and targeted strategies being considered. ACT Children’s Services Association

2

ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014

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ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014 WORKING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE CHANGE Consultations undertaken in the development of the ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014 identified four key objectives for addressing ACT workforce issues in the education and care sector:

1

attract new educators

2

retain existing educators

3

develop workforce skills

4

raise the professional profile of the sector in the ACT community

These key objectives will provide the foundation for the strategy. A number of these initiatives are already underway to achieve the National Quality Framework qualification requirements when they come into effect in 2014. The success of the strategy and initiatives is built upon the ongoing, good cooperation of stakeholders: education and care providers, the ACT Children’s Services Forum, the ACT Government and others.

It is really inspiring to see the way everyone is working together on the workforce strategy. I think it is indicative of how collaborative the sector has become with the new quality framework and that it is obvious that everyone is working towards the same outcome, which is a professional work force. Vivienne Gould, ACT Children’s Services Forum member and Director, Calwell Early Childhood Centre

ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014

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ACT Government initiatives The ACT Government is also delivering on a number of initiatives to support the education and care workforce.

















Delivery of a $785,000 package to up skill approximately 75 new and existing educators to hold a Certificate III in Children’s Services. The package includes start up costs, course fees and employer backfills to ensure students are supported throughout their training. A commitment $16,500 to the ACT Children’s Services Forum campaign to attract new educators to the sector and lift the profile of the profession. The ACT Government has invested in a scholarship program for public school preschool unit teachers to undertake a Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Education. Internal ACT Government collaboration to support the education and care sector to build capacity to promote its professional strengths to the ACT community. The ACT Government have supported a traineeship for over 130 ACT public school preschool unit educators to complete a Certificate III in Children’s Services. Continue the partnership between the Commonwealth Government and ACT Government for educators to obtain diploma and advanced diploma qualifications in children’s services through TAFE institutes on a tuition-free basis. Continue the partnership between the Commonwealth Government and ACT Government to ensure that the objectives of the strategy are reflected in the National Workforce Strategy, through the Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood (SCSEEC) and other relevant inter-jurisdictional policies. Continue the partnership between the Commonwealth Government and ACT Government to inform other national reform measures.

EARLY CHILDHOOD SCHOLARSHIP — TERI’S STORY This scholarship is an incredible opportunity. It allows me to participate in a varied, flexible, guided study program. It gives me the freedom to choose how, when, and where I study so I am able to balance my family life and work commitments while studying for a qualification. Teaching support and guidance are offered throughout the entire program and most importantly, it removes the financial burden associated with the cost of studying, which I would have not been able to afford without this generous scholarship. I waited for over one year to enrol because I was worried about funding it myself. As a casual, I was not eligible for any school funding or monetary support. This course, which would have cost me between $2500–3000 was going to be a massive financial burden on my family, hitting especially hard if I was going to have to give up work completely in order to study full time. Teri Rodda, scholarship recipient

4

I strongly urge anyone who is already in early childhood education or who wants to get into this profession to take advantage of this very generous government offer, and I would like to thank Ms Smith and her fantastic team for this wonderful opportunity.

ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014

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Objective 1 Attract new educators The ACT education and care sector has reported that in keeping with the experiences nationwide it has difficulty in attracting educators. Working in partnership to address this issue there needs to be a shared responsibility between education and care providers, the ACT Government, peak bodies, families and community to develop initiatives to attract educators. In partnership the ACT Children’s Services Forum, the ACT education and care sector, and the ACT Government have identified the following commitments: ■















Facilitate two careers markets annually. The sector and the ACT Government will respond to requests for support to deliver on this initiative. Attend existing careers markets to encourage interested people to gain employment in the sector. Engage with ACT school careers counsellors to encourage interested students to gain traineeships or employment. Support Australian School Based Apprentices in colleges to undertake a Certificate III in Children’s Services on a pathway to Diploma Courses. Encourage local high schools and colleges to engage with education and care services in their area to facilitate work experience and traineeship programs. The sector will provide opportunities for student to participate in their services to deliver on this initiative. Progress the ideas and action items identified by the sector through future Children’s Services Roundtables. Be actively involved in the establishment of the Education and Care Network as a professional association providing a voice for a united sector. Develop a campaign to attract new educators to the sector. This will involve the development of materials that can be used to encourage interested people into the education and care sector.

ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014

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Objective 2 Retain existing educators As important as attracting new educators is retaining existing ones In partnership the ACT Children’s Services Forum, the ACT education and care sector, and the ACT Government have identified the following commitments: ■





■ ■









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Support educators to engage in leadership development to encourage greater advocacy and strengthen the sector. Emphasise retaining skilled and qualified educators for longer periods to work directly with children. The education and care sector will provide opportunities within their services for career advancement in contact roles with children. $785,000 to assist the early childhood workforce meet the requirements of the National Quality Framework with the establishment of the Early Childhood Scholarship Program. Promote the value of mentoring educators and develop mentoring strategies. Advocate for training providers to have more of a mentoring role, particularly with educators who come from non-English speaking backgrounds. Seek to effect change in the community’s view of education and care by using positive language around working directly with children. The ACT Government is providing comprehensive suite of professional learning for public school preschool educators. Develop resources to assist educators to identify career progression opportunities within the ACT education and care sector. Consider the barriers preventing the employment of early childhood teachers in the early childhood education and care sector broadly with a view to establish initiatives to address this issue.

ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014

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Objective 3 Develop workforce skills Under the National Quality Framework, new minimum qualification requirements will be required from 1 January 2014 for the ACT’s education and care sector. There is also a requirement that by 2014 all services have access to an early childhood teacher. In partnership the ACT Children’s Services Forum, the ACT education and care sector, and the ACT Government have identified the following commitments: ■













Profile existing and new funding initiatives to ascertain professional development and training opportunities for the education and care sector. Promote the uptake of the ACT Government’s $785,000 Early Childhood Scholarship Program to encourage existing and new educators in long day care, family day care and independent preschool to obtain a Certificate III in Children’s Services. Assist the ACT’s Registered Training Organisation Network to consult with the sector to ensure the delivery of flexible, high quality training to the sector. Review the Children’s Services training package to ensure its relevance with the National Quality Framework. Advocate for the development of a Certificate III in Children’s Services exit qualification at Year 12 to create pathways into the sector and ensure that young people coming into the sector are appropriately skilled. The sector will support students through pathways with the provision of work experience placements and eventual employment. The ACT will continue to promote teaching scholarships and the Certificate III in Children’s Services traineeship for public school preschool unit educators. Consider ways to support the establishment of a graduate program to support qualified educators in the sector to extend their leadership, management and professional experiences.

ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014

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Objective 4 Raise the profile of the sector in the ACT community The profile of the education and care workforce is implicitly linked with attraction, retention and qualification requirements. Raising the profile is an important process. In partnership the ACT Children’s Services Forum, the ACT education and care sector, and the ACT Government have identified the following commitments: ■ ■







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Raise the profile of the education and care profession. Support the sector to promote the positive impact that qualified and skilled educators have on the children of the ACT through relevant communication activities. Promote understanding of educator engagement in the Teacher Professional Standards as a vehicle for career development Encourage the sector to develop or maintain a sense of pride, value and professionalism. Explore the idea of incentives or rewards for performance in the ACT education and care sector.

ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014

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REVIEW

NATIONAL INITIATIVES

The strategies and initiatives identified within this document will be reviewed in 2014.

This strategy supports the workforce of all education and care services with a focus on the 2020 workforce vision set out in the Council of Australian Government’s (COAG’s) National Early Childhood Development Strategy.

This gives both the ACT Government and the education and care sector appropriate time to assess the operational implications of the strategy. This review will take into account sector feedback of the strategy and in what areas improvements can be made. It will also coincide with the national review of the National Quality Framework.

The National Early Childhood Development Strategy outlines that by 2020 all children will have the best start in life to create a better future for themselves and for the nation. It also supports the specific vision for the early childhood workforce set out in the National Early Childhood Development Strategy.

2020 WORKFORCE VISION The early childhood sector is attracting the brightest to the profession, and there is a sustainable workforce supply which closely matches demand. Early childhood workers are valued and appropriately skilled according to best practice in quality and interdisciplinary service delivery. Overall job satisfaction and good working conditions are reflected in stable recruitment and retention rates. The profile of the early childhood workforce reflects the community. There are career opportunities and good articulation between training pathways, including recognition of prior learning. Professional development and incentives are in place to grow and support leaders in the field.

ACT Education and Care Workforce Strategy 2012–2014

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Workforce Strategy2012-2014.pdf

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