$11 million in NSW Budget allocated to help ECT scholarships

Thanks to an almost $11 million NSW Government investment funding scholarships, 439 aspiring early childhood teachers (ECTs) from across the state are set to receive a cash boost to complete their studies.

The scholarships are being awarded across the state to attract and retain staff to support supply in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector and will support educators who are entering the workforce or those already in the workforce who wish to boost their skills as degree qualified early childhood teachers.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said one third of all successful scholars live and work in regional and remote areas across the state, which will help create lasting benefits now and into the future for all NSW children, families and the economy.

“With submissions from hundreds of talented applicants, many already working in community preschools and long day care services, it’s great to support these applicants to retrain or start their early childhood career,” Ms Mitchell said.

“These scholarships will support recipients to deepen their understanding of early childhood environments, and gain additional skills and capabilities which will be passed on to the children they teach.”

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said these scholarships will help create a sustainable supply of early learning professionals, with every successful applicant to be awarded up to $25,000 under the 2022-23 Early Childhood Education Scholarships Program and Aboriginal Early Childhood Education Scholarships program.

“We want to build a stronger and brighter future for NSW families and we know that building on the early childhood workforce is a no-brainer in delivering this commitment to families.”

The NSW Government has committed $15.9 billion to deliver a brighter future for every child in NSW through a revolutionary transformation of early childhood education, child development and women’s economic participation over the next decade.