Orana and Western NSW highlighted value of ECEC careers with special forum

Freya Lucas

Jul 01, 2024

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The Orana and Western NSW Early Childhood Education Careers Forum took place at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre last week, bringing together community members, job seekers, local employers and training organisations from the early childhood education sector.

Held Wednesday 26 June 2024 the forum featured guest speakers, interactive events and an exhibitor hall, with a range of allied health professionals such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists and early intervention services also present, giving educators the opportunity to learn more about the services and careers options within the ECEC sector.

“This is the first time the Early Childhood Education Careers Forum has been held and we have 30 exhibitors and five guest speakers across the day providing information about working in the sector,” Dubbo Regional Council Family Day Care Coordinator Jo Clark said.

“We hope it provided members of the community with the opportunity to hear from industry (sic.) experts and to learn about the career opportunities in early childhood education and allied health services.”

The Forum was held over two sessions - one in the morning targeted at high school students, and the other in the afternoon for families, community members and employment seekers.

Over 320 high school students registered for the first session, signalling potentially positive outcomes for ECEC numbers in the region.

This forum was a collaboration between Dubbo Family Day Care, Dubbo Regional Council and the NSW Government through the Regional Industry Education Partnerships (RIEP) program.

For further information about the forum contact Joanne Clark at Dubbo Family Daycare joanne.clark@dubbo.nsw.gov.au or 0417216651 or Jacqui Skelton, RIEP Senior Project Officer at Jacqueline.skelton4@det.nsw.edu.au or 0448633488.

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