A new report has found pandemic workforce shortages should be tackled through investment in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) to boost employment, unlock productivity and support life-long development outcomes for children.
Key Findings:
- The number of job vacancies in the ECEC sector have doubled since the pandemic, with providers reporting 6,000 job vacancies per month
- Australia is failing to train & retain its ECEC workforce – 41,500 new graduates will be required per year by 2030
- ECEC expansion boosts productivity across the economy by unlocking labour market participation of parents
- Among the 10 key recommendations is that ECEC should be viewed as an ‘industry of national strategic importance’
“Workforce shortages have been a problematic reality of the pandemic, both within the Early Childhood Education sector and across the broader economy,” said Dr. Mark Dean, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Carmichael Centre, and report author.