Dear OSHC Stakeholder,

CSWA would like to thank those who provided feedback and advice during the consultation process for the establishment of the traineeship for the Certificate III in Outside School Hours Care (10983NAT) in Western Australian.  As a Training Council our role is to submit the application to the State Training Board with strong evidence which supports our recommendation. This evidence is based on consultation with a range of stakeholders including Industry, Employer and Employee Associations, Government and Training Providers. When we asked these stakeholders to confirm their position, overwhelmingly the response provided was that the endorsement of this qualification, whilst it was able to be utilised to run a service, posed too great a risk to the children and worker. This was despite chronic workforce shortages in the outside school hours care (OSHC) sector. Whilst the sector is identified as being critical to support working parents, the State Training Board was advised that it was imperative the sector was adequately resourced and workforce issues addressed in way that minimised the risk to the child and worker.  It was recommended that the promotion of the Diploma of School Aged Education and Care (CHC50221) be promoted for those who have responsibility for running a service.

Since these consultations were undertaken, a change to the OSHC regulations by Education and Care Regulatory Unit (ECRU) came into effect on 1st July. This change has created an opportunity to review this position particularly in light of the fact that a service can no longer be run utilising the Certificate III qualification, however the First Qualified Educator may now be working towards a number of other identified qualifications. Whilst the First Qualified Educator can no longer run a service with the Certificate III, a Qualified Educator can and as such, we seek your advice on the establishment of this qualification as a traineeship as part of a strategy to build the OSHC workforce.

To assist with the decision-making process, we provide the Summary of OSHC Regulation Changes and OSHC Petition Template for review.

Qualification Details

An outline of the qualification as listed on the Training Government Authority website https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/10983NAT this lists the units of competence included.  Note whilst this lists 12 units it appears in other states delivery is based on 15 units which includes the elective three units:

• CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people
• CHCDIV002 Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety
• CHCPRP003 Reflect on and improve own professional practice

The Certificate III qualification does have a work placement component of 320 hours which would be captured under the traineeship arrangement.

At present the qualification in not on the government funded list and the costs unable to be confirmed as this will be negotiated between the owner of the qualification and the WA RTOs that choose to deliver.  Should its establishment be supported, CSWA will advocate for the qualification to be funded at similar levels to the existing ECEC Certificate III and Diploma. Concurrently CSWA will also advocate for the Diploma of School Aged Education and Care (CHC50221) to be funded at the same level.

Summary of OSHC Regulation Changes

Prepared by CSWA, this document aims to highlight the changes to the regulatory requirements and map again current and proposed training pathway in WA.

Petition

This outlines the potential delivery arrangements for the Traineeship and should you support its establishment placing this on your letterhead and confirming your responses to the questions in red will assist us to resubmit a position to the State Training Board promptly.  Please note that the Traineeship is delivered over 24 months in other States and is available within schools. CSWA will seek clarification from ECRU, but a potential special consideration could be that under 18s are unable to undertake the qualification unless under the supervision of a qualified staff member.

In addition to the Traineeship consultation process CSWA will continue to work with the sector to explore other opportunities to build the capacity of this critical workforce.

Please do not hesitate to contact Caroline Thompson caroline@cswa.org.au or Fiona Andreas fiona@cswa.org.au if you have any queries.

All responses are required by COB Monday 4^th September 2023.

The recent release of the Vocational Education Training (VET) Qualifications Register for Secondary Students for the 2024 school year coincides with a period within the school system when students are considering or have already identified career options, particularly pathways for years 11 and 12. Having recently navigated this space as a parent, I am acutely aware that this can be a confusing and challenging time for both students and parents.

CSWA Newsletter – July 2023 (mailchi.mp)

Whilst the recent conversation around Vocational Education and Training (VET) tend to focus on the enrolments, completions and employment outcomes, in addition to this CSWA also like to focus on the stories and the impact training can have on individuals, organisations and communities. Access to meaningful and attainable VET training can change lives by giving individuals confidence and choices that they may not have thought possible.

CSWA Newsletter – June 2023 (mailchi.mp)