Camp Australia becomes first large OSHC provider to confirm above award pay increase

Outside school hours care (OSHC) provider Camp Australia has confirmed that it will offer all team members employed under the Modern Award an increase that will take them above the award with the majority receiving a 5.2 per cent increase this year. 

The Fair Work Commission confirmed in its annual wage review a 4.6 per cent increase in Modern Award Wages effective 1 July 2022.

The move reflects a broader reevaluation of employee value propositions currently taking place across the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector, with the recent decision by Busy Bees Early Learning to initiate an above award pay scheme for all educators, not just early childhood teachers, indicative of the shifts taking place. 

“At Camp Australia, we appreciate there are many ways to feel recognised, and while money isn’t everything, it is a critical element for our teams to feel valued for the work they do,” Igor Merkin, Chief Financial and Operating Officer said. 

It is understood that this decision from Camp Australia’s is the first of its kind amongst the large OSHC providers in Australia. 

“In our commitment to be the best place for educators to do the work they love, we constantly review what we offer as an employer to ensure we have a balanced approach to recognition, reward, and remuneration.”

The increase is part of a broader package of incentives designed to reward existing team members and attract new ones that also includes a 95 per cent fee discounts for team members, and significant discount for their family and friends, a proprietary traineeship program  that supports people from different sectors to transition to the OSHC sector and most recently a suite of wellbeing initiatives that provide mindfulness, breathing, cooking, budgeting and finance sessions to team members. 

“At Camp Australia, we have over 3,000 people in our team and we understand each person has their own unique circumstances. The most important way we can value our team is to tailor our support responses to meet their individual circumstances in time frames that make a difference to them,” Craig Stewart, Head of People and Culture said. 

“This might be the gift of leave when someone is unwell and requires extra time to recover or a small gesture of a self-care hamper when someone is dealing with a challenging personal issue.”