ECEC Workforce Professional Development and Paid Practicum

# ECEC Workforce Professional Development and Paid Practicum Grant **Issuing Department:** Department of Education **Primary Category:** 131001 - Child Care This grant program aims to support the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) workforce in Australia through educator retention and upskilling initiatives. It offers funding to ECEC services for two primary purposes: * **Professional Development & Training:** To cover costs associated with educators undertaking mandatory or highly recommended training. This includes paying educators directly for training time (whether during working hours or in their own time) or funding backfill positions to allow educators to attend training during work hours. * **Paid Practicum for Student-Educators:** To provide wages to educators while they complete the practical components of their ECEC degrees, including Diploma, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor, and Masters qualifications, thereby facilitating degree completion. **Eligibility Criteria:** * **For ECEC Providers:** Applicants must be an **approved Provider in the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) system** with a registered CRN. ECEC services not approved in the CCS system are ineligible. * **For Educators (on whose behalf the grant is sought):** * Must possess legal working rights in Australia. * Must have worked a minimum of forty hours in the three months prior to the provider's application. * Must be counted as part of the educator-to-child ratio. * Must be working full-time, part-time, or casual. **Selection Process:** This is a **demand-driven grant**, meaning applications meeting the criteria will be funded, subject to available resources. **Application Instructions:** Potential applicants should visit the Department of Education website dedicated to these programs to access the specific weblinks that lead to the grants portal for lodging applications. **Keywords:** Early Childhood Education, ECEC, Child Care, Workforce Development, Educator Training, Professional Development, Paid Practicum, Educator Upskilling, Staff Retention, Australia, Child Care Subsidy, CCS Approved Provider.