Surge in ECEC enrolments for Central Regional TAFE’s Geraldton campus

Freya Lucas

Nov 28, 2024

Save

There has been a surge in enrolments at Central Regional TAFE's Geraldton campus in Western Australia, driven by a range of free and low-fee courses in popular fields including early childhood education and care (ECEC).

WA Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk visited the campus recently saying that the strong take-up of affordable training opportunities will lead directly to highly-skilled workers for the Mid West region.

The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care is in the ‘top five’ most popular courses category, with enrolment statistics showing that Geraldton campus has delivered just over 3,820 publicly funded course enrolments to the end of October 2024, compared to 3,198 in the same period in 2020 - an increase of 19 per cent.

Of these enrolments, 1,136 have been in Fee-Free qualifications and skill sets, with another 1,133 recorded in the reduced-fee Lower Fees, Local Skills initiative.

"These promising results for the Mid West region follow Western Australia achieving the highest vocational course enrolments on record in 2023, up 10 per cent on 2022, driven by our investment in affordable training, and supported by new facilities and equipment across the WA TAFE network,” Ms McGurk said.

"Our record investment in infrastructure upgrades, modern equipment and affordable training at WA TAFE colleges is a game changer, especially for regional students and industries.”

"I am proud to say that the majority of these projects are in regional areas, as we know how important it is to ensure people can train and work close to home."

Don’t miss a thing

Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, but there are loopholes to get around them

There is a growing number of “serious incidents” in Australian early childhood services, including day cares.

What Can Australia Learn from Ontario’s Child Care Ratios?

As workforce pressures continue to shape early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy discussions in Australia, international comparisons provide useful perspectives. Canada’s approach, particularly in Ontario, offers a case study in how educator-to-child ratios, maximum group sizes and qualification requirements can be legislated as an integrated framework.

Burnout in early childhood education: Why leadership support is the missing lever

Early childhood educators have one of the most important jobs in Australia. We trust them to keep our kids safe, to educate them in their most formative years, and to care for them when we can’t do it ourselves. And far too often, educators are doing it all on empty.

Workforce planning in ECEC: from compliance requirement to strategic advantage

With workforce pressures continuing across early childhood education and care (ECEC), a structured approach to workforce planning is emerging as a critical leadership tool, not simply an administrative exercise.

National Early Childhood Worker Register: commencing 27 February 2026

The introduction of the National Early Childhood Worker Register from the 27 February, has signalled a significant shift in workforce oversight across early childhood education and care (ECEC).