Victoria offers substantial financial incentives to ECT’s to support Three-Year-Old Kinder roll-out

As Victoria prepares to roll-out its nation-leading Three-Year-Old Kindergarten reform state-wide in 2022, a range of incentives of between $9,000 to $50,000 have been introduced to attract the additional early childhood teachers (ECTs) who will be needed across the state.

The Department of Education and Training initiative is focused on encouraging ECTs to take up teaching positions in high priority services across rural, regional and some metropolitan areas, with ECTs from interstate and New Zealand also eligible and encouraged to consider a move to Victoria to support the initiative.

Further incentives are available to encourage ECTs that are not currently working in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector to join or rejoin at this exciting time. 

Anyone receiving an incentive, and who is moving more than 200 kilometres to take up a role, is eligible for relocation support to cover the costs associated with moving, and returning teachers will be able to access additional professional learning to help with their career move.

Refer an ECT colleague who may be interested in joining the sector or moving to Victoria at this exciting time or register your interest  to learn more about the incentives available for the statewide roll-out of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in 2022

The significant financial value of the incentive package and the broad range of incentives available underwrites the Victorian Government’s commitment to ensuring that its flagship early childhood education reform is a success.

“Growing the early childhood education workforce is critical for the statewide roll-out of Three-Year-Old Kinder – the biggest reform in the history of early childhood education in Victoria,” Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt said.

Incentive packages for ECTs range from $9,000 to $50,000 

The full range of financial incentives being offered by the Victorian Government ranges from $9,000 to $50,000 and are part of the $32.4 million investment announced in the Victorian Budget 2021/22 to support and expand the sector’s workforce ahead of the Three-Year-Old Kindergarten roll-out.

Three types of financial incentives and support have been confirmed:

ECTs who meet the eligibility criteria for the Individual Incentive can search for a job and take up a position at any service delivering Three-Year-Old Kindergarten from 2022.

New Early Childhood Jobs board combines role availability with incentive opportunities  

The Department of Education and Training’s new Early Childhood Jobs board has been designed to be a “one stop shop” to connect Victorian early childhood education employers with job seekers looking to identify career opportunities and the incentives available for each role, and has proven popular with candidates in recent weeks.

High priority services with a location incentive will be advertised on the new board to support ECTs in their search for a new role. New jobs will be posted daily with intuitive search capabilities that enable prospective applicants to search for services with an incentive by clicking ‘Opportunity type’ and selecting ‘Financial incentive’.

Going forward, the Early Childhood Jobs board will be updated daily with new opportunities and the high priority services with an incentive will be highlighted to ensure that job seekers have the most up to date information on all roles available at any one time.

“We are giving our early childhood teachers the best support to work across the state so that all Victorian children can have a great start to their educational journey, no matter where they live,” Ms Stitt said.