A trainee's perspective: who is supporting the people we are asking to stay?

When we talk about workforce shortages in early childhood education and care, we often discuss recruitment, qualifications and retention. But from a trainee's perspective, there is another conversation we need to have.

Who is supporting the people we are asking to stay?

I entered the sector eager and excited to learn. Like many trainees, I wanted to build my knowledge, develop my skills and become the best educator I knew I could be. In the beginning, I was incredibly fortunate. I worked under a leader with over a decade worth of knowledge who invested in me. I had one-on-one mentoring. I received ongoing guidance, training, feedback and accountability. Questions were always welcomed. Mistakes became learning opportunities. There were always clear expectations, but the thing I cherished the most was the support given by my incredible team. I finally felt like someone genuinely cared about my development and wanted me to succeed in this industry. 

Then that leader left.

The change was immediate and it was an experience I didn’t think I’d have as someone who was working towards a certificate III in Early childhood and education. In an industry that is heavily regulated with Laws and regulations, this change alone made me question whether there was hope for me, a trainee, who needed that guidance and leadership to be successful. 

What had once been a thriving, supportive environment slowly became something very different. As a trainee who was barely six months into my traineeship at this service, I suddenly found myself taking on responsibilities I was never meant to carry nor did I feel comfortable taking on.

Experienced staff left. New staff arrived. Systems disappeared and expectations became unclear and not spoken aloud.

What frightened me most was realising that I often had a stronger understanding of basic best practice than some of the people who were supposed to be supporting me.

As a trainee, that is a scary place to be and a place I wouldn’t wish any trainee to be in. 

A traineeship should be about learning. It should be about being guided by experienced educators who can model quality practice, challenge your thinking and help you grow. Instead, I found myself trying to hold things together while still learning myself.

This was no easy task. What disappointed me the most was I heavily relied upon my RTO trainer and my workbooks to learn and grow from. It never came from the educators who I worked with. There was no proper leadership. 

I was never looking for an easy ride, but I wanted accountability. I wanted someone to tell me when I could do better. I wanted someone who would challenge me professionally because they cared about my growth and didn’t just see me as someone who could fill ratio requirements on a roster. 

Instead, I found myself in an environment where survival had replaced learning.

The longer I stayed, the more I realised I had a choice to make.

I could continue sacrificing my own professional development and my mental health, or I could find an environment where learning was still valued with strong leadership.

In the beginning, I thought I could hold on, the thought of leaving was extremely hard to decide. I knew I had to leave behind valued families and their children who always welcomed me with bright smiles. 

I often found myself questioning what could possibly go wrong if I stayed? 

The impact of poor or no leadership extends beyond trainees. When educators are unsupported, overwhelmed and constantly trying to survive the day the children also feel it. High staff turnover disrupts relationships, consistency and continuity of care. Children deserve educators who are confident, supported and able to be fully present in their learning and wellbeing.

Ultimately deep down I knew the right decision to make, even if at the time I didn’t want to, I had to. I left. 

A few weeks later, I was fortunate enough to work under my former leader again in a different service. Walking through the doors felt like coming home. Like joining back to a family that didn’t forget I existed.

The structure was back, the mentoring was back and the accountability was back. There were clear expectations and clear support. People worked together. Professional conversations happened every day and questions were encouraged. Learning was prioritised.  Most importantly, I felt safe to be a trainee again who could continue studying without fear, without pressure without any doubt. 

The difference was extraordinary. My confidence returned almost immediately. My skills developed faster. I found myself excited about learning again instead of simply trying to hold together a service. For the first time in what felt like years, I woke up excited to go to work. I was part of an award-winning team that valued its employees, invested in professional growth and reminded me why I entered this profession in the first place.

Reflecting back, I don't think the difference was resources. I don't think it was funding. I don't even think it was staffing. The difference was leadership, something that had clearly been lacking after my leader left.  Strong leaders create strong educators. They create environments where trainees can learn without fear, ask questions without judgement and develop the confidence needed to become capable professionals. They understand that trainees are not extra hands on a roster. They are the future of our sector.

Unfortunately, I know my experience is not unique.

Across Australia, there are trainees entering services full of passion and potential. Some will be fortunate enough to find leaders who mentor and inspire them. Others will find themselves expected to lead before they have learned, manage responsibilities they are not prepared for and navigate complex situations without adequate support.

Then we wonder why so many leave. If we genuinely want to address workforce shortages, we need to stop focusing solely on attracting new people into the sector and start looking at the environments we are asking them to stay in.

The quality of a trainee's experience should not depend on luck. Every trainee deserves mentoring. Mentoring takes time and effort, but it is one of the most valuable investments a service can make. Experienced educators pass on knowledge that cannot be learned solely from textbooks. They help trainees connect theory to practice, build confidence and develop professional judgement. Without that guidance, many trainees are left trying to navigate an incredibly complex profession alone.

Every trainee deserves support. Every trainee deserves leaders who understand that developing people is just as important as managing a service. Because the future of early childhood education does not begin when someone becomes a qualified educator.

It begins on the day they walk through the door as a trainee.

Author - Eliza Dunn