Recruiting new teachers and educators for the Best Start, Best Life reforms

Across the next decade, Victoria will need an extra 11,000 early childhood professionals to deliver the Best Start, Best Life reforms. We have resources and tips for service managers and providers to help promote opportunities to recruit new teachers and educators.

Recruitment kit for employers

This kit offers advice and resources to support your recruitment needs for 2024.

• Recruitment kit for employers (PDF, 1MB)
• Recruitment kit for employers (DOCX, 362 KB)

Information provided includes:

• workforce planning
• attracting early childhood teachers and educators
• drafting a job advertisement
• social media advertising
• advertising a role with an incentive.

Helping to build the future workforce through longer-term recruitment strategies

It's important for service providers to take early action to plan for and secure their long-term workforce.

Encouraging people to take up a career in early childhood education, supporting educators to upskill, and establishing strong relationships with universities, TAFEs and other training providers in the local area are all great ways service providers can help to 'grow their own' future workforce. Making these early strong connections between individuals and your service can create lasting professional relationships.

Workforce Planning Support Grants

The Victorian Government has offered opt-in Workforce Planning Support Grants to local governments and early years managers across Victoria to support them to develop 5-year early childhood workforce plans. The grants help drive strategic workforce planning for the attraction and retention of early childhood workforce across the sector.

Supporting planning to identify attraction and retention strategies that are responsive to the strengths and challenges of a specific location or organisation will be fundamental to building a long-term, high-quality early childhood workforce in Victoria.

Student placements

Student placements are an integral component of educator/pre-service teacher preparation. High-quality placement experiences support students to develop essential capabilities, and students in turn support the day-to-day activities at early childhood services. In addition, student placements bring longer-term and sector-wide benefits and are a great way to attract future staff.

Providing students with a work placement helps them to fulfil their aspirations to join or progress in the profession, while also supporting the availability of skilled staff to work with you in your service in the future.

Supporting educators to upskill

Service providers can support existing educators who are considering upskilling to become degree-qualified early childhood teachers by:

a) Investing in specific incentives to motivate upskilling

• encourage a staff member to apply for financial support for study from the department
• provide a contribution towards paid study and placement leave
• allow for flexible working arrangements for staff for study and during placements
• establish a study group with other staff who are upskilling in the area.

b) Supporting staff to navigate the university system

Offer assistance by supporting staff to apply to their chosen university.

For more information, visit Becoming an early childhood teacher or educator.

Fast-tracking early childhood education

The Victorian Government is offering diploma-qualified educators the opportunity to complete an accelerated Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, with additional supports to help students succeed.

For more information, visit Innovative early childhood teaching courses.

Encouraging people to take up a career in early childhood

The frequent interactions service providers have with the local community can present the perfect opportunity to encourage people to take up a career in early childhood education.

Research shows that many parents and carers often consider a career change around the time their child attends a kindergarten program. For some parents and carers, being able to see the positive impact a quality kindergarten program has on their own child can act as a catalyst for a career in early childhood education.

Increasing awareness about careers in early childhood education

Service providers can:

• speak to community members, including parents and carers, about whether they have considered a career in early childhood education
• promote the study pathways and financial supports available to become an early childhood teacher or educator
• put up posters about careers in early childhood education around the community and in the service - get posters at: Kinder | Finsbury Green (you need to create an account)
• join local business networking, council-led programs or community groups that work on strategic growth for the broader community.

Create pathways from university to the workforce for graduate early childhood teachers by:

• partnering with local universities and offering student placements, providing an opportunity for the service and student to develop a relationship
• attending university and training provider open days
• promoting the benefits of entering the early childhood sector, including new supports for graduates to enter the workforce.

Building partnerships with schools, TAFEs and other training providers

• Connect and partner with local high schools that offer training in early childhood through Vocational Education and Training (VET) delivered to school students (VDSS). VDSS trainees could undertake placement with the service provider.
• Connect with local TAFEs or training providers for joint promotional opportunities and placement for students.