Paid practicum placements now a reality for ECEC following Aly’s announcement

Early childhood education and care professionals who need to complete practicum (prac) placements as part of their qualification will now be able to access payment during their placement period as well as funding to support access specialist professional development, Minister for Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly announced yesterday. 

Educators in both metropolitan and rural, regional and remote Australia are now eligible for the expanded Early Childhood Education Workforce package.

Under the package, a paid prac wage subsidy is now available to assist educators undertaking a Diploma of Early Childhood Education or relevant post-graduate Early Childhood Teaching qualifications, in addition to those completing an Early Childhood Teaching qualification who already had access to this support. The paid prac wage subsidy has been doubled to up to eight weeks per semester.

The package also enables positions to be backfilled while early childhood educators, teachers and centre directors undertake professional development opportunities.

“My mum was an early childhood teacher. As a parent I know the difference this next generation of educators will make to Australia,” Member for Perth Patrick Gorman said.

Since the program was first introduced the Federal Government has helped approximately 750 Early Childhood Teaching student educators through the paid prac wage subsidy and more than 23,000 educators have benefited from professional development opportunities.

“This is about ensuring workers in feminised industries (sic.), such as early childhood education and care, can seize opportunities to progress their careers,” Dr Aly said.

“A sustainable early childhood education and care workforce is a vital step towards building a universal early learning and care system that works for children no matter their background.”

The government will launch a dedicated website in late 2024 which it hopes will help providers participate in prac exchanges with different services to help services manage their workforce needs and educators find prac places. Educators who undertake prac in a rural or remote location away from home are able to access a living allowance to assist with relocation costs. 

For more information regarding the expanded Early Childhood Education Workforce package please see here.