Shaping Our Future

1 Shaping Our Future A ten-year strategy to ensure a sustainable, high-quality children's education and care workforce 2022 2031. National Children's Education and Care Workforce Strategy September 2021. Contents 1. Foreword 4. 2. Overview 5. 3. Call to action 7. 4. Sector profile 11. 5. Sector workforce 22. 6. Sector qualifications 26. 7. Recent actions (2020 21) 34. 8. Actions for the next decade (2022 31) 39. 9. Monitoring and evaluation 61. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the Lands across Australia. We also acknowledge and extend our respect to Elders, past and present. We recognise and celebrate the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia, including their role in the education and care of children. We also acknowledge and recognise the rich histories and diverse cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and the valuable contribution their diversity brings.

2 Education Services Australia, as the legal entity for the Education Ministers Meeting, 2021. Shaping Our Future A ten-year strategy to ensure a sustainable, high-quality children's education and care workforce 2022 2031 is licensed by the Education Ministers Meeting under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non Commercial International License. Intergovernmental Support Team: 2 A ten-year strategy to ensure a sustainable, high-quality children's education and care workforce 2022 2031 A ten-year strategy to ensure a sustainable, high-quality children's education and care workforce 2022 2031 3. 1. Foreword 2. Overview The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Australasian teacher Regulatory Authorities The Australian Children's Education and Care Dec-19: Development of new Declaration opens with a simple, powerful Quality Authority (ACECQA), on behalf of all Australian Childcare Alliance strategy endorsed by Education statement Education has the power to governments, coordinated the development of this Ministers transform lives'.

3 It commits all Australian Australian Community Children's Services new strategy. The development process aligned governments to work with the education with the principles of co-design, as agreed by community to attract, develop, support and Australasian Council of Deans of Education Sep-20: ACECQA appointed Education Ministers. retain high quality teachers, educators and as project coordinator on Australian Early Childhood teacher behalf of governments to lead Extensive consultations with national sector leaders in Australia's education system. Education Network development process stakeholders and government representatives Children's education and care is an integral Australian Education Union informed the development of potential actions and part of that system and sets the foundations for Oct-20: National sector initiatives aimed at alleviating longstanding and lifelong learning and development.

4 Children's Education and Care Industry stakeholder reference group increasingly pressing workforce challenges. Reference Committee established to progress six focus Investment in the sector and its workforce areas for the strategy In May 2021, national public consultation on the leads to a range of important benefits Community Connections Solutions Australia potential actions and initiatives provided insight improved and more equitable educational Early Childhood Australia Nov-20 to Jan-21: Co-design into those the sector considered would provide and developmental outcomes for children; roundtables to discuss priorities the greatest support and relief. increased intergenerational social mobility; Early Learning and Care Council of Australia and develop potential actions and and higher female labour market participation.

5 National sector stakeholders and government Early Learning Association Australia initiatives Quality outcomes for children depend upon a representatives subsequently collaborated to highly skilled, well supported and professionally Family Day Care Australia finalise 21 actions, to be implemented over the May-21: National public lifespan of this strategy. recognised workforce. Independent Education Union of Australia consultation on priorities, actions Australian governments and sector and initiatives The actions are divided into categories that allow National Outside School Hours for implementation in the short (within 3 years), stakeholders have closely collaborated to Services Alliance Jun to Jul-21: Development of medium (within 6 years) and long (within 10 years). develop this ten-year strategy to ensure a sustainable, high-quality children's education Outside School Hours Care Council strategy and agreement on action term, ensuring there is meaningful progress over and care workforce.

6 Representatives from all of Australia plan the next decade. main stakeholder groups have been involved throughout the development process, and will Queensland Early Childhood teacher Sep-21: Shaping Our Future ' Shaping Our Future ' is intended to be a roadmap continue to be involved to deliver the strategy Education Network for ongoing collaboration and partnerships considered by Education over the next decade. between sector stakeholders governments, Regional Early Education and Ministers and approved for service providers, education and training Development Inc publication Thanks in particular to the following providers, peak associations, regulatory stakeholders for their ongoing involvement, TAFE Directors Australia bodies, and educators and teachers and their support and expertise, as well as their representative bodies.

7 Commitment to the actions contained within this The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care In December 2019, at the same time as A vital factor in the delivery of high-quality strategy: finalising the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) education and care is an ongoing, experienced United Workers Union. Education Declaration, Education Ministers and well qualified workforce. endorsed the development of a new ten- Thanks also for all of the significant year national workforce strategy as a joint contributions from across the children's partnership between all governments, the education and care sector, including teachers children's education and care sector, and other and educators who took the time to ensure that key stakeholders. their voices were heard. 4 A ten-year strategy to ensure a sustainable, high-quality children's education and care workforce 2022 2031 A ten-year strategy to ensure a sustainable, high-quality children's education and care workforce 2022 2031 5.

8 3. Call to action Shaping Our Future ' represents a ten-year commitment to, and by, the children's education Overarching Vision and care sector. The timeframe is intended to be both ambitious The children's education and allow sufficient time to consider and and care sector has a address the complex and longstanding workforce challenges experienced by the sustainable, high-quality sector. Although there has been substantial workforce of teachers and growth in the number of qualified educators and early childhood teachers, workforce shortfalls educators that is highly are reported across all jurisdictions, particularly respected and valued by in regional and remote areas. The impact of the the broader community. COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the critical importance of the children's education and care sector and its workforce.

9 No single stakeholder group can or should be responsible for all of the actions contained within this strategy. The most effective and sustainable change will come about through collective will and action, and an ongoing Governments, service providers, peak commitment to progress. associations and other sector stakeholders continue to invest in a range of workforce All stakeholders have a role to play, and supports and initiatives. This strategy is not interlinking responsibilities, in advancing intended to duplicate those efforts, but instead the goal of a sustainable, highly skilled and provide actions that can lead to national, professionally valued workforce. system level improvements. Service providers Responsible for attracting and retaining , and supporting and developing teachers and educators. Regulatory bodies Governments Responsible for developing integrated Responsible for systemic supports policy and responsive regulation.

10 Through funding, policy and regulation. Peak associations Education and Responsible for representing the sector training providers through advocacy, policy advice and Responsible for influencing supply and promotion of best practice. quality of teachers and educators, and providing attractive and flexible study Educators and teachers opportunities. Responsible for understanding own professional needs and engaging in ongoing learning and development. 6 A ten-year strategy to ensure a sustainable, high-quality children's education and care workforce 2022 2031 A ten-year strategy to ensure a sustainable, high-quality children's education and care workforce 2022 2031 7. Summary of Actions 2022 2031. The strategy is structured around six interrelated focus areas. Setting the timeframe over the next decade allows actions within each focus area to be pursued over the short (within Shaping Our Future ' includes 21 actions (see Chapter 8 for more detail) that will be progressed over the next three years), medium (within the next three horizons: six years) or long (within the next ten years).