16 January 2019

TAFE NSW, Australia’s largest education provider, forecasts that 10,502 childcare workers will be in demand between 2018 and 2021 in the Sydney region alone. Explore & Develop Leichhardt is gearing up to respond to the demand by recruiting and training employees using TAFE Digital to deliver online education to complement the hands-on skills they are learning in their employment.

The childcare centre employs over 20 highly motivated educators and is very proud of its well-earned ‘exceeding service’ rating, which has operated at over 95% capacity in the last four years, while enjoying an exemplary 100% trainee completion rate.

Explore & Develop Service Director, Alison Evans, said “In most instances, parents and guardians of children will already have done thorough research before even contacting us. When checking out our facilities and speaking to other parents, they specifically ask about our ‘exceeding service’ rating.

“Our philosophy puts the wellbeing of the children in our care at the forefront of our minds and we continually work on improving our practices.

“We’ve had nine Certificate III and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care trainees who have completed their studies through TAFE Digital and their traineeship with us over the last four years, with a further two currently completing their studies,” said Mrs Evans.

“Next year we will have another six trainees studying through TAFE Digital. Two are new employees – one new to the industry doing a Certificate III and the other completing a Diploma, with the other four upgrading their qualifications from a Certificate III to Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.

Online study allows the trainees, who often juggle family and work commitments, to study at their own pace. A ‘real person’ from TAFE is always available to provide additional support with assignments and assessments, with ‘real life’ workplace professionals providing advice and encouragement.

Mrs Evans said “The online theory is essential to the trainee’s learning. Delivering quality outcomes, underpinned by the Early Years Learning Framework, requires knowledgeable and highly skilled educators who scaffold children’s interests and achieve high quality learning outcomes through meaningful and individualised experiences.”

According to Mrs Evans, investing in a trainee is more than just paying someone to complete a course. It is about nurturing someone’s career, instilling a strong work ethic, developing their confidence professionally and encouraging them to be an educator that fosters a lifelong love of learning for children in their early years. “It’s more than a job; it’s a vocation that can be endlessly rewarding. Our trainees are very loyal and we have a 100% completion rate to date.”

Contact: Bonny Gunn, TAFE Digital Media Business Partner. Mobile 0417 134 048