ANZSCO 4211-11Western Australia

Child Care WorkerSeptember 2017

Labour Economics Office Western Australia

Department of Jobs and Small Business

Current labour market ratingRegional Shortage

Previous labour market rating (September 2016)Regional Shortage

Comments

Consistent with 2016, surveyed employers in the metropolitan area were generally able to fill positions for diploma and certificate III-level child care workers from large fields of applicants. The majority of surveyedregional employers received low numbers of applicants and a majority of vacancies remained unfilled.

Survey results[1]

  • During the survey period, employers filled 61 per cent of child care worker vacancies, compared with63 per cent last year.
  • This year employers filled 78 per cent of metropolitan vacancies, while in regional areas employers filled 38 per cent of vacancies. These results are on par with the findings of the
    2016 survey.
  • Employers required applicants with either certificate III-level or diploma level qualifications.
  • Metropolitan employers experienced greater ease filling vacancies seeking diploma and certificate III qualified staff (71 per cent and 100 per cent respectively), compared to regional employers who filled 14 per cent of certificate III vacancies and 67 per cent of diploma level vacancies.
  • Overall, surveyedemployers attracted an average of 12.3 applicants and 1.2suitable applicants, compared to an average of 43.3 applicants and 2.9 suitable applicants in the 2016 survey.
  • There was considerable variation in the average number of applicants and suitable applicants between metropolitan and regional vacancies.
  • Employers with metropolitan vacancies attracted an average of 20.3 applicants and
    1.6 suitable applicants per vacancy. Regional employers attracted an average of 1.1 applicants and deemed an average of 0.7 applicants as suitable.
  • Applicant suitability also varied considerablydepending on the level of qualification sought by the employer. This difference was most apparent in the metropolitan area.
  • Metropolitan employers seeking applicants with a certificate III-level qualification attracted an average of 55.0 applicants and 3.8 suitable applicants per vacancy. Those seeking diploma qualified applicants attracted an average of 10.4 applicants and 1.0 suitable applicant per vacancy.
  • Regional employers seeking certificate III-level applicants attracted an average of
    0.9 applicants and 0.7 suitable applicants per vacancy. Those seeking diploma level applicants attracted an average of 1.3 applicants and 0.7 suitable applicants per vacancy.

Employer requirements

  • Employers sought experienced and motivated applicants looking to commit to positions long term. This was particularly the case for employers with regional vacancies.
  • Applicants for child care worker vacancies required an Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority approvedcertificate III or diploma level qualification.
  • In addition to an appropriate qualification, employers sought applicants with a sound working knowledge of the National Quality Standard and the Early Years Learning Framework, good written and verbal communication skills, a working with children card, national police clearance and first aid certificate.

Unsuitable applicants

  • The main reasons applicants were deemed unsuitable was because they lacked relevant qualifications or the level of experience in the child care sector required by the employer, and in many cases submitted poor quality applications.

Demand and supply trends

  • Various indicators suggest softer demand for child care services in Western Australia over the last 12 months.
  • Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that the population cohort aged
    0 to 4 years in Western Australia increased by 0.4 per cent over the year to June 2017. The total population of Western Australia rose by 0.8 over the same period.[2]
  • Data show that at March 2017 the number of children in approved care in the stateincreased by five per cent over the two years to 98,420 at March 2017. Approved child care services in Western Australia increased by 11.0 per cent over the same period.[3]
  • Vacancies for child care workers in Western Australia have trended down since early 2016, and declined by14 per cent over the year to September 2017.[4]
  • Entry into this occupation in Western Australia is generally via the completion of a certificate III or diploma qualification.
  • Overall enrolments in government funded courses for this occupation (for both certificate III and diploma qualifications) in Western Australia rose steadily from 2007 to 2014, declined marginally in 2015 and rose again to a 10 year high in 2016.[5]
  • Enrolments in certificate III-level courses rose consistently between 2009 and 2013, declined by around 22 per cent between 2014 and 2015 and have since returned close to levels recorded in 2013.[6]
  • Between 2009 and 2013 enrolments in diploma level courses for this occupation remained flat at around 1600. Enrolments peaked in 2014 at 2,879before declining by 14 per cent over the two years to 2016.[7]
  • Consequently, enrolments in certificate and diploma courses are now on par with each other, a situation not seen since 2009.
  • Variations in diploma enrolments reflects changes to child care staffing requirements under the Child Care National Quality Framework and National Quality Standards and changes to funding arrangements for diploma level courses.

Labour Economics Office Western Australia

Department of Jobs and Small Business

[1] The methodology underpinning this research is outlined at Skill Shortage Research Methodology | Department of Jobs and Small Business - Document library, Australian Governmentand can also be accessed by the QR code.

[2] ABS Cat: 3101.0,Australian Demographic Statistics, June 2017, Table 55, Original data.

[3]Department of Education and Training. Early Childhood and Child Care in Summary, March 2015 to March 2017

[4] Department of Jobs and Small Business, Internet Vacancy Index, September 2017, 4 digit, 12 month moving average.

[5]NCVER, Apprentices and Trainees, March 2017, estimates

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.