21 JulDET Incentives Program – New Financial Support for Educators
On Friday, 15 July, Minister for Early Childhood Education and Pre-Prep, Ingrid Stitt, announced a $1 million expansion of the Early Childhood Incentives program, encouraging early childhood teachers and educators to work in hard-to-staff areas of Melbourne and rural/regional Victoria.
For the first time, qualified early childhood educators will join teachers in being eligible for financial incentives for joining or returning to the sector, as well as those coming from interstate and New Zealand. This means that more early childhood teachers and educators will be eligible for financial incentives to encourage them to work in kindergarten programs where they’re most needed, as part of the Victorian Government’s landmark Best Start, Best Life early childhood education reforms. Available incentives will include:
- Individual incentives of $9,000 for qualified teachers and educators starting their careers, re-joining the sector or relocating to Victoria from interstate or New Zealand.
- Location incentives of $9,000 for educators willing to relocate to high-priority services across the state to deliver the nation-leading rollout of universal Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.
- Existing location incentives of $9,000 to $50,000 for early childhood teachers who take up a role at a high-priority service.
On top of these incentives, between $2,000 and $8,000 in relocation support is also available to educators and teachers who are awarded an incentive and are relocating more than 200kms to take up a role.
The Victorian Government is also supporting more people to become early childhood teachers, with up to 175 extra State Government-funded places available in the 2023 intake of the Australian Catholic University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, as part of the Innovative Initial Teacher Education (IITE) program. The program of accelerated study gives diploma-qualified educators the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree and become early childhood teachers in 18 months, after receiving recognition of their eligible prior studies and experience. This program, delivered by three universities across Victoria, allows students to continue their studies and paid employment at an early childhood service. The Early Childhood Jobs site provides a free online platform for the early childhood sector to connect in one place to look for, apply for and advertise jobs and incentives.
Further information:
· Professional support and financial incentives – Early childhood teachers and educators | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au)
· CLICK HERE for the full media release by Minister for Early Childhood Education and Pre-Prep Ingrid Stitt.
SAVE THE DATE
For more information about Vic DET current incentives and recruitment strategies, please save the date for ELAA’s Vic DET workforce forum on Tuesday 16 August, 10.00-11.00am.
