Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre partners with TAFE NSW

Nowra’s Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre has entered into a partnership with TAFE NSW to help provide career pathways for Aboriginal early childhood educators.

The partnership is aimed at boosting the number of Aboriginal early childhood educators in the Shoalhaven region, and comes amid a widening skills gap in the early childhood sector, with more than 5,000 vacancies for educators nationwide.

Educators are in even higher demand in the Aboriginal childcare sector, prompting peak body SNAICC to approach TAFE NSW to launch the bespoke course.

In its pilot format the fee free course will include two days practical training at Cullunghutti and a day at TAFE NSW Nowra, with hopes it could be rolled out to other regions if successful.

Students will graduate with a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, complete work placement at Cullunghutti and be ideally placed to secure work at a local childcare service.

“There is a critical shortage of Aboriginal educators in the early childhood education sphere and we feel it is important to strategically address this,” said Cullunghutti CEO Tara Leslie.

“In partnering with TAFE NSW, we are strengthening our ability to recruit Indigenous educators and centre the voices of Indigenous people that will lead to successful outcomes.”

TAFE NSW Aboriginal Engagement Coordinator Mark King agreed, saying “we need more Aboriginal educators in the sector so they can deliver culturally appropriate care and education to children.”

“COVID-19 has made the situation in early childhood education even harder and a lot of services are struggling,” he added.

Expressions of interest for participants in the course are now open and can be accessed here.