Media release
15 September 2022
As governments across Australia ramp up investment in early learning and care, employers in the sector are launching a social media blitz to attract more Australians to become early childhood educators and early childhood teachers.
The Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) today launches a new phase of the Big Roles in Little Lives campaign, promoting the importance of early childhood educators and teachers in supporting children’s learning and families’ lives.
‘Early learning and care is pivotal to creating a strong Australia,’ said ELACCA CEO Elizabeth Death.
In June, the New South Wales and Victorian governments announced investment of $14.8 billion in early learning over the next decade, to create a new year of free or low-fee education for all children in the year before school. The two premiers described this as ‘the greatest transformation of early education in a generation’.
‘Early childhood educators and teachers help build the next generation of young Australians, supporting their creativity, social skills and resilience,’ Ms Death said. ‘This is the first step on a child’s educational journey, and it is so important for success and wellbeing later in life.’
The Big Roles in Little Lives campaign is targeting school-leavers and career-changers, highlighting the flexibility, satisfaction and social impact that come with roles in the early learning and care sector.
‘We’ve already seen positive signs that Australians see a solid future in the early learning sector,’ said Ms Death.
‘The number of Australians enrolling in vocational courses in Early Childhood Education and Care jumped by 14% in 2021, surpassing pre-COVID levels.’
Demand for early childhood educators and teachers is at an all-time high in Australia. In July 2022, there were 7,063 job vacancies advertised online for early childhood educators, teachers and centre managers.
‘Early childhood educators and teachers are highly valued by their employers and by the families who attend their services. We need to see further increases in wages, but the future trajectory for early learning and care careers is very promising,’ Ms Death said.
The Big Roles in Little Lives campaign will run across TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
