Support the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector to build and retain the ECEC workforce.
The Government will provide $72.4 million over 5 years from 2022-23 to support the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector to build and retain the ECEC workforce. Funding includes: * $34.4 million over 5 years from 2022-23 to subsidise ECEC services to backfill up to 75,000 early childhood educators, early childhood teachers and centre directors to undertake mandatory or highly recommended training, or to pay an allowance to the educator if training is undertaken outside work hours * $33.1 million over 5 years from 2022-23 to provide financial assistance for up to 6,000 educators in the ECEC sector to undertake a paid practicum in initial teacher education courses at a bachelor or post-graduate level * $4.8 million over 5 years from 2022-23 to support up to 2,000 ECEC workers to undertake a practicum exchange at a different service, with a living allowance for students undertaking a practicum in a rural or remote location. The initiatives will prioritise support for First Nations educators, and educators in regional and remote areas. The cost of this measure will be met from savings identified in the 2023-24 Budget measures titled Child Care Subsidy Reform - additional integrity and Education - reprioritisation.