ANZSCO 4211-11Australian Capital Territory

Child Care WorkerAugust 2017

LabourMarket Research and Analysis Branch

Department of Jobs and Small Business

Current labour market ratingNo Shortage (certificate III qualified)

Shortage (diploma qualified)

Previous labour market rating (September 2016)No Shortage (certificate III qualified)

Shortage (diploma qualified)

Comments

Almost all employers recruiting certificate III qualified child care workers attract suitable applicants and most fill their vacancies without marked difficulty.

Employers seeking diploma qualified workers generally have difficulty, with around three quarters having unfilled vacancies.

Survey results[1]

  • Applicant numbers were relatively large in 2017 but few were regarded as suitable and almost half the surveyed vacancies were unfilled.
  • Employers filled 56 per cent of their vacancies, up from the series low of 42 per cent in 2016.
  • There was an average of 12.8 applicants per vacancy, of whom 8.3 were qualified and 1.0 were considered suitable. This was the lowest average number of suitable applicants since 2011.
  • Employers recruiting certificate III qualified child care workers filled a higher proportion of their vacancies and generally recruited with greater ease than those seeking diploma qualified workers.

Child Care Worker – certificate III qualified

  • Employers recruiting certificate III qualified child care workers were generally able to attract suitable applicants and fill their vacancies.
  • On average, surveyed employers attracted 14.4 applicants per vacancy, of whom 0.9 were considered to be suitable. Around 90 per cent of employers attracted suitable applicants.
  • Around 58 per cent of vacancies were filled. This number, though, is influenced by a small number of employers who were unable to fill multiple vacancies, while the vast majority of employers successfully recruited these workers.

Child Care Worker – diploma qualified

  • Employers were recruiting diploma qualified child care workers for positions which included a mix of room leader and general child caring duties. In addition, these roles often involved creating learning programs and documenting child development.
  • Employers generally had difficulty recruiting these workers.
  • Three quarters of employers had unfilled vacancies and half the surveyed vacancies were not filled.
  • On average, employers attracted 9.7 applicants per vacancy, of whom 1.2 were considered to be suitable. These figures were influenced by a small number of employers who attracted large candidate fields, however, and most employers attracted few suitable applicants.

Employer requirements

  • Surveyed employers were from a range of backgrounds including national child care chains, community care centres and not-for-profit organisations.
  • Employers usually required applicants to have previous experience in a similar role (ranging from one to four years), although some were willing to hire new graduates.
  • Employers recruiting diploma qualified workers generally required applicants with experience creating learning programs and documenting child development. In addition, many were seeking applicants who had leadership and supervisory experience.
  • Other requirements included
  • a passion for child care
  • strong verbal and written communications skills
  • a working with vulnerable people card
  • a first aid certificate.

Unsuitable applicants

  • Around 86 per cent of diploma qualified and 76 per cent of certificate III qualified applicants were considered to be unsuitable.
  • The most common reason for unsuitability was a lack of practical experience in the occupation. Other reasons included
  • poor verbal and written communication skills
  • performing poorly at interview.

Demand and supply trends

  • The ACT child care sector has grown in recent years, supporting the demand for child care workers.[2]
  • The number of approved long day care and occasional care providers in the ACT increased by more than 20 per cent over the three years to September 2016, toaround 155.
  • Similarly, the number of children regularly attending long day care and occasional day care rose by around 16 per cent over the same period, to around 15,620 in September 2016.
  • The number of students enrolled in relevant certificate III and diploma level courses has increased strongly in the ACT in recent years.
  • Enrolments in certificate III courses fell slightly in 2016 (to around 750), but have more than doubled over the past decade and remain historically strong.
  • Diploma level course enrolments also more than doubled over the last decade to around 780 in 2016, an historical high.[3]

LabourMarket Research and Analysis Branch

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] Department of Education and Training, Early Childhood and Child Care in Summary, various issues.

[3]NCVER, Government-funded Students and Courses, 2016