OPINION: Education and care sector is highly mandated and regulated

There has been and continues to be, dialogue focused on hospitality and tourism - a key priority for government.

The silence around the key enabler for workforce participation - education and care services, or childcare - is deafening.

Without accessible, affordable services, workforce participation becomes problematic for many families.

Considering the financial incentives for employers to recruit individuals accessing JobSeeker/JobKeeper/JobMaker, one could be excused for thinking this would be a key solution for our sector, which is suffering critical workforce shortages.

This was evident before COVID-19, with the attraction of new entrants and the retention of existing educators becoming increasingly difficult.

The shortage has been increasingly significant in recent months.

There are many reasons for this, including the loss of the casual pool during the worst of the pandemic, educators retiring or leaving the sector and increased demand for educators for newly established services with more planned in 2021.

In Northern Tasmania, the workforce situation is especially critical - with two new services opening in Launceston and another under development.

The education and care sector is highly mandated and regulated.

National law and regulations govern the provision of services.

These requirements dictate the qualifications of those working in the sector, the adult to children ratios and importantly the relevant learning frameworks against which services are assessed and rated.

Regardless of the financial incentives for job growth and development, our sector must adhere to these laws and regulations.

Potential educators must have the capacity and capability to undertake and complete a formal qualification recognised by the Australian Children's Education and Care Authority.

Along with this, the importance of having the personal qualities and attributes required to be a caring and responsive professional who can establish and maintain relationships with children, families and colleagues cannot be underestimated.

There is a need to effectively balance an ongoing focus on workforce quality with meeting the increasing demand for educators and teachers in a growing sector.

So not anyone will do!

The education and care sector must have a highly qualified and skilled professional workforce.

Children must have access to quality education and care services provided by these educators.

Families must have access to education and care services to support their workforce participation or to undertake study.

Unless the workforce issues are addressed immediately, the reality is rooms within services may close or services may close due to the inability to attract a qualified workforce.

But more importantly, without a professional workforce, children may be disadvantaged as evidence-based research indicates that the early years, those before school, are when brain development is at its peak and those early positive experiences influence later life.

The education and care sector is a major contributor to the Tasmanian economy.

We employ more than 3000 individuals, providing education and care for almost 30,000 children.

Education and care providers also invest in local businesses through the procurement of goods and services.

So, the flow-on effect to the community in supporting local jobs is much broader than those employed directly by providers.

While there is a great deal of dialogue about the critical skill shortage in the education and care sector with work being undertaken nationally and to a lesser extent at a state level, there is an urgent need right now as well as a long-term strategy to support the current and future workforce for this vital sector.

The education and care workforce may not be as visible as those in hospitality and tourism, but without it, these businesses and many others will be impacted even more as the road to recovery from the pandemic begins.

As Education and Training Minister Jeremy Rockliff stated in his message to the education and care sector recently: "Education and Care services are the foundation for building skills and dispositions needed for lifelong learning, engagement and participation in all aspects of life".

Unless there is immediate action families may not be able to engage in work, the economy will suffer and most importantly children may not have the opportunities to engage in quality early learning.

National predictions report a conservative estimate that the sector will need around 39,000 additional educators by 2023.

This represents a 20 per cent increase for the workforce over five years.

Therefore the challenges being faced will continue unless there is intervention to ensure the supply meets the increasing demand.

Action is needed now!