Board of Treasurers leads calls for ECEC availability to change to boost workforce participation

Access to affordable early childhood education and care (ECEC) options has been floated by Australia’s Board of Treasurers as a key area that needs to be addressed in order for workforce productivity and participation to increase. 

A representative from the Board of Treasurers has called on the Federal Government to “reduce red tape and disincentives to work” and to consider how to better leverage the costs associated with ECEC provision with state and territories shouldering “a significant fiscal burden”.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr, who also serves as the Chair of the Board, made his statements in a submission to the employment white paper on behalf of state and territory treasurers.

The white paper’s key themes include the nature of skill shortages, improving employment opportunities, the importance of affordable childcare (sic.) and housing, flexible training pathways for workers, and the opportunities and challenges of achieving net zero emissions.

“These improvements will generate significant fiscal benefits for the Commonwealth as a result of increased workforce participation, improved child development and avoided social costs,” Mr Barr wrote in the submission, adding “there needs to be consideration in the white paper of the structural and systemic barriers faced by different groups, including those in regional and remote areas, who have limited access to childcare (sic).”

As well as ECEC, Mr Barr singled out the aged and disability care sectors as ones which also needed to be looked at to boost workforce participation. 

“Linked to this matter is the challenging conditions, low pay rates, and difficulty faced in recruiting workers in the aged care, childcare and disability care sectors,” he contended.

Mr Barr said this has led to higher staff turnover and labour shortages by discouraging female participation and making it more difficult for parents and carers to find adequate services.

The Federal Government’s employment white paper will be released in September while public submissions were made public last Saturday.

Treasury received more than 400 submissions regarding the white paper from community groups, peak bodies, businesses, think tanks, unions, governments and individuals.

“While we can’t implement every good suggestion, we take these contributions seriously and we’re really grateful to everyone who took the time to make a submission,” said Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

“This feedback will help to shape the white paper and the policies we put in place as we look to build a bigger, better-trained, more productive workforce.”

To read the full range of submissions made to the White Paper, please see here.