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Read how Australia has made the professionals working in the Out of School Hours Sector visible before policy makers and the immediate next steps foreseen.
Kylie Branelly is Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Children’s Activities Network (QCAN) and Chairperson of the National Outside School Hours Services Alliance (NOSHSA)
In late 2022, the Australian National Outside School Hours Services Alliance (NOSHSA) attended an inaugural meeting of Australian peak bodies representing the Early Childhood Education and Care sector to discuss plans to deliver educators across the Education and Care Services sector a pay rise. On the 8th August 2024, the Australian Government announced an educator retention subsidy would be introduced from December 2024 to deliver a 15% above award pay rise across the sector over an initial period of 2 years. This was a proud moment for NOSHSA as our efforts to advance and professionally recognize the Out of School Hours (OSHC) sector have paid off.
Like any movement, there is always significant work and advocacy behind the scenes to influence and inform policy makers. The opportunity to seek a pay rise was enabled through a groundbreaking multi-employer agreement. Those undertaking the work contained the application to the Long Day Care sector, which was a significant issue for NOSHSA though as a sector representative, we acknowledge that this groundwork enabled the delivery of a subsidy that better recognizes the professional work undertaken right across the entire education and care sector.
Over the past 18 months, NOSHSA together with a group of OSHC providers continued our advocacy, meeting regularly with governments, making written submissions and advocating the case for the OSHC sector at every possible level and opportunity. This is how we have been able to keep the OSHC sector on the radar and ensure that no educators, including those working in OSHC, would miss out.
Whilst the announcement has only recently been made, there is still significant work to be done to prepare the sector to meet the eligibility criteria with compliant workplace instruments. There are some complex issues that need to be navigated and NOSHSA will be undertaking the steps to ensure the resources are in place and available to the sector to comply with the requirements of the subsidy.
At the same time, we continue to observe the gender-undervaluation case currently before the fair work commission and understand this may significantly influence the future minimum wage levels for the sector.
All these steps put us as a system with better conditions to provide for quality services to children, in short, more opportunities to thrive.
Kylie Brannelly
Chief Executive Officer
Queensland Children’s Activities Network
Chairperson
National Outside School Hours Services Alliance
Media contact: Kylie Brannelly 0432 808 620
The Global Extended Learning and Youth Development Association(GELYDA)
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