As ECEC attention grows ELACCA launches second Big Roles in Little Lives campaign

Building on the current policy momentum around the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector the Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) has launched a new phase of its popular Big Roles in Little Lives campaign, hoping to attract more Australians to become early childhood educators and early childhood teachers.

“Early learning and care is pivotal to creating a strong Australia,” said ELACCA CEO Elizabeth Death.

In June, the New South Wales and Victorian governments announced investment of $14.8 billion in early learning over the next decade, to create a new year of free or low-fee education for all children in the year before school. The two premiers described this as “the greatest transformation of early education in a generation”.

Such policy changes cannot be enacted without dedicated and caring professionals who are willing to step up and help build the next generation of young Australians, supporting their creativity, social skills and resilience, Ms Death said. 

The Big Roles in Little Lives campaign is targeting school-leavers and career-changers, highlighting the flexibility, satisfaction and social impact that come with roles in the early learning and care sector.

“We’ve already seen positive signs that Australians see a solid future in the early learning sector,” Ms Death shared.

“The number of Australians enrolling in vocational courses in ECEC jumped by 14 per cent in 2021, surpassing pre-COVID levels.”

Demand for early childhood educators and teachers is at an all-time high in Australia. In July 2022, there were 7,063 job vacancies advertised online for early childhood educators, teachers and centre managers.

“Early childhood educators and teachers are highly valued by their employers and by the families who attend their services,” Ms Death said. 

“We need to see further increases in wages, but the future trajectory for early learning and care careers is very promising.”

The Big Roles in Little Lives campaign will run across TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

To learn more, check out bigrolesinlittlelives.com