Practicum Exchange Living Allowance applications now open

The Federal Government is ensuring Australia has a sustainable early childhood education workforce, boosting wages and encouraging more workers into the profession.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) educators are now able to apply for the new Practicum Exchange Living Allowance (PELA), to assist with living and travel costs while they undertake a prac placement in a rural or remote area, organised via the Practicum Exchange Network.

PELA is a separate payment from the Professional Development Subsidy, which aims to cover the costs of training for qualified early childhood education and care workers.

The PELA and the Professional Development and Paid Practicum subsidies are part of the Albanese Government’s $72.4 million Early Childhood Education Workforce Package, supporting the training and development of the Early Childhood Education and Care workforce.

PELA will help ensure that students studying an early childhood education and care qualification are supported to complete their required practical component.

To further assist educators complete required training placements, applications are also open for the Government’s Paid Prac Subsidy.

The Paid Prac Subsidy helps early learning providers to give existing educators paid leave while they undertake the prac placements required to complete their early childhood education and care qualifications.

The grants, Minister for Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly said, are an important step in securing the workforce needed to deliver a universal early learning and care system.

“We’re securing the essential early childhood education workforce that families rely on every day,” Dr Aly said.

“We’re supporting the early learning sector in a range of ways, including through making it easier to access training and professional development opportunities and funding a historic 15 per cent wage rise.”

The program has already helped around 47,450 educators across 3,700 services to complete their training and upskill.

Applications for the PELA and the Professional Development and Paid Practicum subsidies close 14 March 2025. To find out more use this link.