Jobs and Skills report shows a shortfall of more than 20,000 educators

There is high demand for early childhood professionals nationwide, a newly released report from Jobs and Skills Australia has shown, and this demand will continue to grow. 

The Jobs and Skills Australia’s early childhood education and care study shows that Australia needs 21,000 more qualified early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals to meet current demand, and that number will only increase as we look to the future. 

“Current workforce levels are not sustainable. We need growth of eight per cent to meet sustainable staffing levels, and another eight per cent growth to meet unmet demand for services,” Jobs and Skills Australia Commissioner, Professor Barney Glover AO warned.

“Anyone counselling young people on their career choices should be aware of this,” he continued.

“There are fulfilling and rewarding jobs available now in ECEC and there will be even more in the future.”

The study is a comprehensive overview of the sector, detailing 28 key findings and making 41 recommendations based on detailed workforce modelling and extensive stakeholder engagement, in a bid to both address current challenges and build strong foundations for rewarding ECEC careers.

It provides critical evidence, insights, and includes a detailed understanding of the current state and future needs of the sector’s workforce to support the development of Government strategy and vision on early years education and care of Australia’s children. 

The study also focuses on ECEC workforce and skills issues, particularly attraction and retention, to complement the broader scope of the other inquiries.

The full report is available at the JSA website.