ANZSCO 4211-11South Australia

Child Care WorkerSeptember 2017

Labour Economics Office South Australia

Department of Jobs and Small Business

Current labour market ratingChild Care Worker (Certificate III) - No Shortage

Child Care Worker (Diploma) - No Shortage

Previous labour market rating (September 2016)Recruitment Difficulty (Diploma-level positions)

Comments

There is no shortage of child care workers holding Certificate III and Diploma qualifications. Employers reported challenges in attracting experienced candidates. Employers reported an increase in lower quality written applications and candidates who failed to demonstrate an appropriate level of spoken and written English to satisfy the role requirements.

Survey results

  • Employers surveyed were from the public and independent sectors delivering a range of child care services.
  • A survey of employers who had recently advertised for child care workers found that 100 per cent of vacancies were filled within four weeks. This result was higher than the proportion of vacancies filled in 2016 (79 per cent).
  • On average, employers received 22 applicants per vacancy which was slightly higher than the average of 19 applicants per vacancy received in 2016.
  • The ratio of suitable applicants per vacancy was higher in this year’s survey at 2.1 compared with the ratio of 1.8 in last year’s survey.
  • While all vacancies were filled for both Certificate III- and Diploma-level positions, Certificate III-level positions attracted, on average, more suitable applicants per vacancy (2.5) compared with Diploma-level vacancies (1.9).
  • Both Certificate III- level and Diploma level vacancies attracted, on average, more suitable applicants in this year’s survey compared with the previous year (Diploma-level, 1.9 in 2017 compared with 1.5 in 2016; Certificate-III level, 2.5 in 2017 compared with 2.2 in 2016).
  • The results of the survey indicate that there was no difficulty recruiting child care workers at either Certificate III- or Diploma-level qualifications.

Employer requirements and unsuitable applicants

  • Although employers attracted a large number of applicants per vacancy, around 90 per cent were considered unsuitable for employment.
  • The two major reasons employers found applicants unsuitable was either a lack of the basic qualification or a lack of experience in the occupation.
  • Some employers believed that the amount of practical experience which students receive while studying was inadequate. There were also concerns that some courses were too short and provided a standard of training that was below their expectations.
  • Other reasons for unsuitability included lacking the right attitude and poor written and verbal communication skills. A number of employers noted that part of the job entails documentation and therefore good writing skills are necessary.
  • For the diploma level vacancies, employers sought applicants who were highly skilled and experienced, and possessed the leadership skills to effectively manage teams.
  • Some employers required specific experience, for example experience working with children who have experienced trauma, or willingness to work unusual casual or shift hours.

Demand and supply trends

  • According to the Department of Education and Training[1] the number of SA children in approved child care (across all service types) decreased by 2.5 per cent in the year to the September quarter 2016. This decrease goes against the trend for the past five years where there has been a steady increase in enrolments.
  • The department’s data also shows that the number of child care services operating within the state remained steady for the year to September 2016.[2]
  • According to research commissioned by the Department of Education[3], in 2013 there were 6,185 paid contact staff in the SA Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector with Certificate III, IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma ECEC-related qualifications. This compares with 4,154 in 2010, an increase of 49 per cent over three years.
  • The Department of Jobs and Small Business Internet Vacancy Index data for South Australia shows that the number of internet vacancies for child care workers decreased in the year to August 2017.
  • In 2012 the Australian Government established the National Quality Framework[4] to raise quality in Australian education and care services.New requirements have been progressively phased in and will continue to 2020. These include an increased emphasis on diploma-level early childhood education and care qualifications and higher educator to child ratios.
  • NCVER training data[5] shows the number of students enrolled in diploma-level or advanced diploma-level training courses in children’s services has decreased in 2016 after a significant increase in 2015.
  • By contrast, the number of students undertaking Certificate III-level training courses in children’s services has increased in 2016 after substantial falls over the past two years.

Labour Economics Office South Australia

Department of Jobs and Small Business

[1] Department of Education and Training, Child Care and Early Learning in Summary report (Dec 2012 – Sept 2016).

[2]Department of Education and Training, Child Care and Early Learning in Summary report (Dec 2012 – Sept 2016).

[3] The Social Research Centre, National Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce Census, 2010 and 2013.

[4]

[5] NCVER VOCSTATS training statistics do not include data from private registered training organisations.