- 10 local governments will share in over $250,000 to attract
and retain early childhood educators in regional Western Australia
- City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder will receive more than $74,000
for Goldfields Professional Development Project
- Part of Cook Government's
commitment to attract and retain early childhood educators in regional WA
Initiatives that support
workers to upskill, help with relocation costs and subsidise housing are among
the recipients of a Cook Government grant program to help attract and retain
early childhood educators in regional Western Australia.
10 regional local governments
will share in over $250,000 in grant funding as part of the Attraction and
Retention Packages for Regional Child Care Workers Program (the Program).
The recipients include
the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, which will receive more than $74,000 for its
Goldfields Professional Development Project, delivered in partnership with
Shire of Coolgardie and Shire of Leonora.
The project will
contribute to the attraction and retention of qualified early childhood
educators in the Goldfields, taking the unique needs of the region into
account.
It brings the City of
Kalgoorlie-Boulder's total funding received through the Program to almost
$100,000.
For early childhood education
and care services, bringing in and keeping on a high-quality workforce can be
challenging, particularly in regional areas.
Today's announcement of
Round 3 of the Program sees a total of $781,066 delivered to 23 regional local
government authorities across Western Australia.
The program is delivered
with the support of the Western Australian Local Government Association and
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
In 2021, the Cook Government
committed $1 million over four years to support the attraction and retention of
early childhood education and care workers in regional WA.
Other measures to support
early childhood education and care workers include $2.9 million, announced in
May, for three not-for-profit organisations to develop initiatives that address
key barriers facing the sector in regional WA, including in the
Goldfields-Esperance region.
Comments attributed to Early Childhood Education Minister Sabine
Winton:
"Ensuring that Western
Australians have access to high quality Early Childhood Education and Care is a
priority of the Cook Government.
"We know that access to
quality Early Childhood Education and Care is vital to meeting the needs of
young children and families in regional communities.
"It also plays an
important role in regional economies, enabling parents to return to work and
supporting the operation of regional businesses.
"These grants to attract
and retain early childhood educators will ensure more young children have the
best possible start to life."
Comments attributed to
Kalgoorlie MLA Ali Kent:
"The importance of having
quality early childhood educators in regional areas such as Kalgoorlie cannot
be understated.
"I am proud to be part of
a State Government that is committed to building the capacity of the Early
Childhood Education and Care sector across Western Australia.
"I look forward to seeing
how the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder's Goldfields Professional Development
Project will help contribute to building a strong Early Childhood Education and
Care workforce in the Goldfields region."
Attraction and
Retention Packages for Regional Child Care Workers Program 2024 recipients
