By Olivia Condous
Local childcare workers are being supported to further their education in the industry in order to combat workforce shortages and a growing number of employees leaving the sector.
National childcare provider G8 education operates several early education centres in the Melton area, including Great Beginnings Brookfield where one employee is taking on education opportunities to further her career.
G8 Education offers a Study pathway program in order to support workers with further study and combat the key issues of workforce shortages and high turnover rates within the childcare sector.
Great Beginnings educator Telesia Halapio tried to study for her diploma while she was working at another education centre, but dropped out due to a lack of time and support.
Ms Halapio said now that she had support to finish her diploma, her dreams for her future career in early education have grown even further.
“I wasn’t sure where my career would go, but now that I have re-enrolled in my Diploma, and thanks to the encouragement and support of my team, I now have bigger plans and dreams than I could have ever thought possible for my education career,” she said.
The education support comes after a report from HESTA superannuation on the state of the early childhood education sector post-pandemic, which found that one in five workers were intending to leave the industry in the next one to two years.
Many workers cited a desire to develop new skills as the top reason for leaving the sector.
G8 Education chief people transformation officer Tabitha Pearson said the company’s Study Pathway program was a response to the needs of industry workers.
“We have heard the call from the sector workforce, and are responding by consistently reviewing and growing our study pathways program to better meet the needs and wants of educators,” she said.
“Employees who complete a VET qualification through the G8 Study Pathway Program stay, on
average, twice as long as non-study pathways qualified team members.”
World of Learning Melton educator Andrew Smith has completed his diploma through the G8 Education study pathways program and said that it would help him to remain in the sector and hopefully advance his career.
“I thought I had finished my studying when I got my Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. I knew doing a Diploma would be a good idea, and it would give me more options for my career,” Mr Smith said.
“I’m relatively new to the industry, but it has quickly made a positive impact on me. I love working with children, who challenge me and teach me things every day.”
