$10 million boost to strengthen early childhood educator training in South Australia

South Australia’s early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is set to benefit from a $10 million workforce investment aimed at expanding and strengthening the vocational education and training (VET) educator pipeline.

Jointly funded by the Albanese and Malinauskas Governments, the initiative will support more than 300 new VET educators across priority industries including early childhood, health, defence, and construction with a further 500 professionals to access professional development and mentoring opportunities.

The funding, announced by Federal Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles and South Australian Minister for Education, Training and Skills Blair Boyer, is intended to address critical shortages in the state’s training and skills workforce.

“We need more VET trainers to train the next generation of workers,” Minister Boyer said.

“Early childhood education is a key priority, and this investment will support our educators to gain the qualifications, experience and mentorship they need to deliver high-quality training.”

Key initiatives for educator training and development

The package includes:

• Scholarships for current and aspiring VET educators
• Upskilling of existing qualifications for VET professionals
• Simplified pathways for early childhood professionals to transition into training roles
• Mentorship for new and early career educators to build retention
• Expansion of Accelerate scholarships for experienced educators
• A practitioner-as-researcher pathway to foster leadership across the training sector

These supports are expected to directly enhance training quality in core qualifications, such as the Certificate III and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, which underpin workforce entry into the ECEC sector.

A pathway from practice to pedagogy

A recently completed pilot program highlighted the potential of the “industry professional to VET educator” pathway, with trade and community services professionals fast-tracked into teaching roles. The $408,000 pilot ran over 12 weeks and addressed urgent educator shortages, including in community services a critical ECEC-adjacent area.

Minister Giles said the investment builds on the VET Workforce Blueprint developed in 2024, aimed at supporting, growing and sustaining the VET educator workforce across the country.

“There is a clear need for qualified trainers and educators to train the next generation. Our government is acting now to ensure the pipeline is strong especially in vital sectors like early childhood education,” he said.

Implications for the ECEC sector

Approved providers, training organisations and RTOs delivering early childhood qualifications in South Australia should monitor announcements on how to access funding, scholarships and mentoring opportunities.

The initiative aligns with national workforce strategies to attract and retain early childhood professionals and increase quality across the vocational training sector. With sector-wide efforts to bolster educator supply and career pathways, this joint investment signals a practical commitment to meeting long-term workforce needs.