A new scholarship program has been launched to help address a projected shortage of early childhood educators, with the first round attracting strong interest from aspiring and existing educators.
The Tasmanian Government has announced that 93 scholarships have been accepted under the first round of its $4.5 million Early Years Workforce Development Scholarships program, which aims to qualify an additional 200 educators over four years.
Under the first funding round, 73 formal offers and 20 conditional offers have been accepted across Certificate III, Diploma and early childhood teaching degrees.
Tasmania’s Minister for Skills and Jobs, Felix Ellis, said increasing the number of qualified educators was a key part of the Government’s long-term workforce strategy.
“A key part of our 2030 Strong Plan is increasing the number of qualified educators to ensure more Tasmanian families can access these services when they need them,” Mr Ellis said.
“Achieving almost half of our target in the first round is a strong sign the program is hitting the mark and reflects strong demand from both new workers and existing educators seeking to upskill.”
The scholarship program supports qualifications across long day care, family day care and outside school hours care, with additional assistance available for participants willing to relocate to remote or hard-to-staff areas including King Island, Flinders Island and Tasmania’s West Coast.
Tasmania is projected to require an additional 1,200 education and care educators and teachers by 2029, highlighting the scale of the workforce challenge facing the sector.
Mr Ellis said the scholarships were designed to help build workforce capacity where it is needed most.
“The program is supporting workforce growth across long day care, family day care, and outside school hours care services, ensuring these services are strengthened to meet the needs of children and families across Tasmania,” he said.
“With a significant shortage of qualified educators in the sector, we are delivering the training support needed to grow this critical workforce in the right areas.”
In addition to financial assistance, scholarship recipients receive a tailored support plan that includes academic, wellbeing and professional support to help them complete their qualifications and progress their careers in early childhood education and care.
“This scholarship provides not only financial assistance, but also a tailored support plan that includes academic, wellbeing and professional support to help participants begin or advance their career pathways in the education and care workforce,” Mr Ellis said.
“We know how important it is for families to have access to the childcare they need, in their community, and that’s why we are delivering the next generation of the workforce.”
The scholarship program is being delivered by Early Childhood Australia. The next round of the Early Years Workforce Development Scholarships is expected to open in late 2026.