A new program to advance the skills of early childhood educators and increase quality across the sector is being launched by TAFE SA's National Centre of Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care.
The professional development program, Effective Mentoring in Early Childhood Education and Care, is designed to support career growth and unlock leadership potential in participants.
Developed in consultation with the early childhood education sector and leadership professionals, the program will be piloted by mentors and mentees from seven childcare centres across South Australia in Semester 2.
Effective Mentoring in Early Childhood Education and Care will include four online workshops where participants will learn to develop mentoring skills and how to use them to enhance quality in the workplace.
The childcare centres involved in the pilot are:
- TAFE SA Pt Lincoln Childcare Centre
- C.a.F.E Enfield Children's Centre
- TAFE SA Whyalla Childcare Centre
- TAFE SA City West Childcare Centre
- Kalaya Children's Centre
- St Morris Community Childcare Centre
- Waite Campus Children's Centre
Launched in 2024 with $28 million in State and Federal Government funding, TAFE SA's Centre of Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care is part of a network of TAFE Centres of Excellence across Australia focused on building high-quality skill development in critical and emerging industries.
TAFE SA's Centre of Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care is working with a range of industry stakeholders, including educators and directors, employers, unions, and the Jobs and Skills Council and HumanAbility, to enhance workforce skills through professional development and training opportunities.
The Centre will leverage training partnerships to find alternative pathways into the sector to strengthen employment pipelines.
Flinders University and the University of South Australia are two key industry partners which will help with the design and delivery of new training products and apprenticeship pathways.
As put by Blair Boyer
The Centre of Excellence will help strengthen the sector by providing high-quality and responsive skills training for the education and care of our youngest Australians.
The Centre will help boost collaboration between TAFEs and universities and strengthen our early childhood education and care capabilities, while delivering the skills and knowledge the labour market needs.
We are building the workforce for the early years and TAFE and the Fee-Free TAFE initiative have played a central role in ensuring we have the people needed to support the early years sector.
Mentoring is such an important step to ensure educators are supported and we are sharing knowledge right across the sector.
As put by Centre of Excellence director Nick Howie
Mentoring has a vital role in professional development, whether it is new educators learning from more practised team members or experienced educators wanting to increase their leadership skills.
The program aims to build mentoring capability supporting long-term workforce development.
Mentoring is an important part of leadership that empowers individuals to extend their skills and advance their careers, which ultimately assists with staff retention and leads to a higher level of skill overall in the early childhood education and care sector.
