Productivity Commission final report remains steadfast in commitment to ECEC workforce

The Productivity Commission (PC) has released its final report into the Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector in which it remained steadfast in its recommendations focusing on the importance of building and nurturing the ECEC workforce. 

The draft report, released in November 2023, contained seven workforce focused recommendations including a separate reference to the potential need for funded wage rises, as per the aged care sector, whilst noting that “there will be considerable pressure on governments to fund any increase to limit the impact on fees and out-of-pocket expenses.”

With the Labor Government now having publicly committed to a 15 per cent educator wage rise to be spread over two years the PC reports recommendations for the ECEC workforce have broadened significantly, with the new report containing five more recommendations than the draft version. 

The final report’s twelve recommendations relating specifically to the ECEC workforce were as follows:

1. Set goals for the ECEC workforce

2. Evaluate recent changes to ECEC VET training packages

3. Re-examine entry requirements for Diploma courses for people who already hold a Certificate III qualification

4. Develop bespoke traineeship pathways for family day care settings

5. Reduce barriers for qualified educators to upskill to early childhood teachers

6. Support innovative delivery of teaching qualifications

7. Improve registration arrangements for early childhood teachers

8. Lift support and mentoring for new early childhood teachers

9. Improve pathways and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to obtain ECEC qualifications

10. Facilitate more placements in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ECEC services

11. Contribute to professional development for the ECEC workforce

12. Enhance the National Children’s Education and Care Workforce Strategy

Of the twelve final recommendations, numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 10 were newly added in the final document and alongside “affordability” related recommendations included in the report, which also had twelve in total, workforce clearly remains a key focus and priority for the Commission. 

At this juncture it is too early to know which of the recommendations made will be picked up by the Government and included as new policy measures going forward. 

However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese MP and Education Minister Jason Clare MP have made it clear that all recommendations will be taken into consideration as they craft their ECEC policy platform ahead of next year’s election. 

To access the Productivity Commission’s final report into ECEC please click here.