Calls for high-calibre educators to step into TAFE space and train the next generation

Freya Lucas

Aug 23, 2021

Save

A new TAFE Teacher Training Scholarship has been launched in Victoria, designed to incentivise experts across a variety of in-demand sectors and industries, including health and community services, construction and electrotechnology to sign up as TAFE teachers.

Up to 200 study assistance scholarships valued at $10,000 each to be offered, Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes announced late last week, to enhance the TAFE teaching workforce amid skyrocketing VET enrolments, which increased by 13 per cent to May compared with the same time last year.

More than 87, 200 students have now started a Free TAFE course since the initiative launched in 2019 – giving Victorians better access to the high-quality training they need for the state’s most in-demand jobs, including in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector.

“We have rebuilt TAFE across Victoria – enrolments are booming and we need more teachers. If you have the know-how we want you to sign-up to help train the next generation of Victorian workers,” Ms Symes said.

The new TAFE Teacher Training Scholarship is also a unique opportunity for skilled workers seeking a career change or for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic to pass on their sector and industry-relevant skills to TAFE students.

To find out more about the scholarship, visit www.vic.gov.au/tafeteacher

Don’t miss a thing

Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, but there are loopholes to get around them

There is a growing number of “serious incidents” in Australian early childhood services, including day cares.

What Can Australia Learn from Ontario’s Child Care Ratios?

As workforce pressures continue to shape early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy discussions in Australia, international comparisons provide useful perspectives. Canada’s approach, particularly in Ontario, offers a case study in how educator-to-child ratios, maximum group sizes and qualification requirements can be legislated as an integrated framework.

Burnout in early childhood education: Why leadership support is the missing lever

Early childhood educators have one of the most important jobs in Australia. We trust them to keep our kids safe, to educate them in their most formative years, and to care for them when we can’t do it ourselves. And far too often, educators are doing it all on empty.

Workforce planning in ECEC: from compliance requirement to strategic advantage

With workforce pressures continuing across early childhood education and care (ECEC), a structured approach to workforce planning is emerging as a critical leadership tool, not simply an administrative exercise.

National Early Childhood Worker Register: commencing 27 February 2026

The introduction of the National Early Childhood Worker Register from the 27 February, has signalled a significant shift in workforce oversight across early childhood education and care (ECEC).