The State Government is expanding its Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Job Ready program to Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Karratha, Katanning, Kununurra, Mandurah, Northam and new metropolitan locations following the success of the program in Perth and Broome.
The entry-level program was developed in consultation with industry to train more early childhood educators for work in the sector and enhance employment outcomes for participants.
The program combines a short course skill set and work placement to introduce participants to an early childhood educator’s working environment and includes wrap-around supports to reduce barriers for participants to guide them to completion of their training.
All Job Ready programs are part of the FREE IN ‘23 initiative which includes 130 full qualifications and skill sets this year, including the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.
Fee free training is made available through the State Government’s partnership with the Commonwealth, which is showing strong results for priority sectors, including the care industry.
Of the almost 2,000 participants who have commenced Job Ready programs, almost half reported they have already secured employment in the industry or further training, adding to the pipeline of skilled workers needed across a range of essential sectors. More than 40 of these commencements were in the ECEC Job Ready program.
Job Ready programs and fee-free courses enable students to overcome cost barriers to entering training and the workforce, which combined with additional wrap around support has enabled these fantastic outcomes. The programs ensure Western Australians, particularly First Nations people, young people, people looking for work or receiving income support, unpaid carers, people with disability, and women facing economic insecurity, can access affordable training to help them get into jobs.
To date, more than 78 per cent of ECEC Job Ready program participants are women, 43 per cent are aged under 25, and 40 per cent are Aboriginal people. These programs are complemented by a new policy arrangement that enables the averaging of part time hours for apprenticeships and traineeships, broadening opportunities for workers to access employment based training and providing flexibility for those who may not be able to work full time, such as people with caring responsibilities or parents returning to the workforce.
Information on the ECEC Job Ready program is available at jobsandskills.wa.gov.au/pathways, or contact your nearest Jobs and Skills Centre on 13 64 64.
Training Minister Simone McGurk said, “Job Ready Programs are among a range of initiatives this State Government has introduced to support people experiencing barriers to enter training and the workforce in priority sectors. By expanding the ECEC Job Ready program across the State our Government is helping to ensure the needs of regional workforces are met. Early childhood education and care is a critical part of the economy because it supports parents and carers, particularly women, to participate in the workforce, and forms part of WA’s Healthcare and Social Assistance industry, which is the largest employing industry in the State. By making this and a range of other training courses available for FREE IN ‘23, our Government is providing more entry-level candidates with a new pre-employment pathway into traineeships and jobs in the early childhood education and care industry.”
