Today . . .

Fatimah works in the ECEC sector, where she has been employed for the past 2 years. She recently completed her Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching and needs to gain teacher accreditation, but she can’t find the time to complete the compulsory requirements. She’s also unsure of the correct process to follow.

Fatimah visits the Department of Education website, where she can access a wealth of information about accreditation requirements, along with contact details for governing and accreditation bodies, such as NESA.

6 months later . . .

Fatimah has uploaded all the documentation she requires to receive her full accreditation. The support she received from NESA, the department, and her employer helped make this process simple. Fatima feels a sense of accomplishment knowing that she achieved the highest qualification in her field. Fatimah is happy with the position she holds in her local service and hopes to mentor other educators who seek accreditation in the future.

Today . . .

Suzanna completed her Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood and is working as a lead educator, a role she has held for several years. During the pandemic, she relocated to regional NSW with her husband Thomas and their 3 children. While Thomas works from home, Suzanna has struggled to find both suitable childcare for her children and ongoing work in the area. She decides she’d like to open a family day care service, so she starts exploring this option on the Department of Education website which is full of information for people looking to open their own service or expand on an already existing service.

Suzanna operates a thriving family day care service which provides quality care for many of the farming families in her local area. She can now control the hours she works and maintains a healthy work life balance.

Through her work, she has developed strong relationships with the working families in her local community. Suzanna has a deep understanding of the issues which impact the availability of ECEC services in regional and remote areas and is exploring avenues to connect with and mentor current and prospective ECEC educators.

Today . . .

Dylan is a proud Gamilaraay man, living in regional NSW. He loves working in the ECEC sector and is employed at a long day care (LDC) centre, which has a large contingent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Dylan has been employed in the sector for 15 years and his position as an Early Childhood Teacher gives him the opportunity to mentor and educate children about their cultural heritage.

He enjoys conducting story time in the traditional language of country, helping little learners develop deep cultural connections to each other and the community.

After hosting a yarning circle with parents and members of the local community, including Elders and council, he identifies that there is a shortage of educators who are skilled in working with children with special needs. Dylan enrols in a Master of Special and Inclusive Education (specialising in Early Childhood), so that he can best support all children in his local area.

Dylan applies for the Early Childhood Inclusive Education Scholarship and is awarded $20,000 to complete his studies. Studying online means he can continue working while completing his degree, and the scholarship allows him to reduce his hours so he can focus on data collection.

1 year from now....

After completing his specialisation, Dylan’s LDC is better equipped to cater for children with special needs and Dylan is enjoying tailoring programs to help them to thrive in the ECEC space. The impact of this is clear, with the children who have special needs more engaged in their learning than previously.

Dylan is looking to establish a community of practice with other educators in the area, to help newcomers and experienced professionals share their skills and knowledge. Dylan is planning to continue his research and would like to complete a PhD on addressing the needs of children in regional and remote ECEC services.