FED GOVT’S PAY RISE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS PAYING OFF, WITH STAFF VACANCIES DOWN 22%
20 January 2025 – New data shows the Federal Government’s attempt to stem the flow of early childhood educators leaving the sector is working, with staff vacancies down 22 per cent.
Jay Weatherill from Minderoo Foundation’s Thrive by Five campaign said a strong early education and care workforce was vital to ensuring that Australian children and families got the best start to life, and educators were clearly responding to the August announcement of a government-funded 15 per cent pay rise.
“This is great news for families struggling to find a childcare place and dealing with the added cost-of-living pressure of parents not being able to return to work when they choose to,” Mr Weatherill said.
“And it’s fantastic news for educators also struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, who for too long have been underpaid and undervalued.”
New data from Jobs and Skills Australia shows vacancies in the sector decreased by 22 per cent between December 2023 and December 2024 [1].
“Early childhood educators were some of the lowest-paid workers in our economy, a factor that drove even the most passionate educators out of the sector.
“Years of inaction on providing tangible support in the form of a wage increase had weakened the early learning workforce.
“This new data shows that we are seeing educators return to the sector with the promise of fairer wages, while also attracting new people to the profession.
“Educators are the backbone of the early childhood education and care sector – without a thriving workforce, no attempts at making early learning more accessible and affordable can be successful.
“We congratulate the Government for their leadership on this crucial issue and recent announcements including a $1 billion fund to build or expand early learning centres in underserved areas. The next step is to bring down fees for parents, with the Government considering our proposal of a $10-a-day-cap on out-of-pocket fees,” Mr Weatherill said.
