Looking for a new start? Victoria’s extensive range of supports makes the move easy 

Victoria’s nation leading commitment to early childhood education has attracted attention and admiration from across the country. 

Having enough teachers and educators to continue to deliver high-quality Three-Year-Old Kindergarten and Pre-Prep programs is critical to the success of the Best Start, Best Life reforms.

The Victorian Government has awarded more than 3,000 scholarships since 2018 and recently expanded the financial incentives program to include educators as well as teachers. We caught up with Sean Bundy to learn more about the difference financial support has made for him. 

Sean has been working in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector for more than 12 years. He jumped at the chance to take up an incentive which gave him the support he needed to relocate and settle into a regional area working in a high-quality early learning service offering a bush kindergarten program. 

“Having access to quality employment opportunities and amazing working conditions means that you are supported in your role as a teacher or educator even if you are having a tough day,” he said. 

“Knowing that you also have the support of your families, colleagues and wider community also helps. Victoria provides world class early childhood education,” Sean added. “I would highly recommend people to apply for this amazing support and incentive program.”

The incentives – which range from $9,000 to $50,000 for eligible, qualified early childhood teachers and educators – have been embraced enthusiastically by the sector, attracting professionals from within Victoria, and some from interstate and overseas as well. 

Two types of incentives are available: location incentives to attract candidates to take on roles at priority services, and individual incentives to attract candidates to join or rejoin the Victorian early childhood sector. 

The Early Childhood Jobs website allows job seekers to search specifically for positions with location incentives attached, as well as by role, opportunity type (part time, casual or full time), location, and even company or organisation. 

For those who meet the eligibility criteria, individual incentives are available for any early childhood teacher or educator role advertised on the Jobs Board (if the service is delivering, or plans to deliver, a funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten program in 2023).

IITE program supports the development of ECEC professionals 

Dr Natalie Robertson is one of the many academics supporting the professional development of current and future ECEC workforce.

She’s working at one of three universities that are delivering an accelerated qualification designed to support educators as they upskill to become teachers. These upskilling programs, part of Victoria’s Innovative Initial Teacher Education (IITE) program are boosting educator’s ability to undertake and complete teaching qualifications – helping individual educators, at the same time as helping the sector and families accessing ECEC and kindergarten. 

“IITE aims to upskill Diploma-qualified educators who are already working in the profession,” she explained. 

“The programs are employment-based which means as students they can complete their placements within their own workplace, allowing them to be paid and remain in adult-child ratios.”

The introduction of the IITE model, she said, has been “a game changer” for many students, removing financial barriers which have previously kept them from further study. When combined with financial support to cover course costs, books and new technology, and the flexible modes of delivery, a world of opportunity has opened up for many. 

“In Victoria, we are going to need thousands of early childhood teachers within the next 10 years,” Dr Robertson said. 

“IITE supports the sector by providing our Diploma-qualified educators, who hold a significant wealth of knowledge and practice, with the opportunity to further their own careers. The employment-based model of IITE keeps these educators in their workplaces, where they can continue to educate and care for the young children they have strong relationships with while they are studying.”

One student who recently completed her study put it this way. 

“The financial support, the fast-track, the University support was a once in a lifetime opportunity to live the dream of now being an ECT. Thank you” 

Would you like to learn more about the opportunities available to early childhood education professionals in Victoria? Head to the website.