Employers, educators and teachers signed the first national supported bargaining agreement with the Federal Government yesterday.
Made by the sector for the sector, this agreement was the catalyst for the Federal Government’s $3.6 billion commitment to fund a 15% increase in early childhood wages. This recognises the urgent need to address chronic workforce shortages in the early childhood sector by funding services to pay professional wages without the need to increase fees.
We are so proud to have negotiated this historic deal on behalf of community and small providers. This is a win for our sector that has been struggling with workforce shortages for decades. Over the three years, we have been raising the voices of community and small providers in Federal Parliament. We worked intensively to ensure the Federal Government prioritised this investment now. Our most intensive advocacy campaign yet has delivered the right outcomes for our members.
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It’s clear that the Federal Government values community and small early education and care services. The funding will be available to all federally funded ECEC services. CELA will be supporting services to access this historic funding.
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About CELA
Community Early Learning Australia is a not for profit organisation with a focus on amplifying the value of early learning for every child across Australia - representing our members and uniting our sector as a force for quality education and care.