Training & professional development

The purpose of this review is to:

• review the progress of the ECEC sector towards meeting the qualification requirements of the NQF that came into effect from 1 January 2014, particularly in relation to Early Childhood Teachers (ECTs) and rural and remote workforces
• identify areas which require further attention so additional support can be provided.

According to the report, although progress has been achieved, there are still challenged, across seven themes, that need to be addressed in order to further improve the ability of the sector to meet the NQF qualification requirements. Those challenges evolve around the following topics: 1) challenges in gaining qualifications: New entrants to the ECEC sector; 2) challenges in gaining qualifications: Up-skilling the existing workforce; 3) workforce challenges for ECEC services (including attracting and retaining staff); and 4) challenges for interpretation and application of NQF qualification requirements.

The Workforce Development Framework (WDF) can guide agency leaders to improve the health of their child welfare workforce. The WDF describes the key elements of an effective workforce and evidence-informed strategies to develop each component. The WDF’s inner circle describes the process for assessing organizational workforce gaps and implementing workforce strategies while the outer one delineates the components. Leaders can use this framework to develop a comprehensive approach to improving the health of their workforce. Together, the Process and Components compose the Workforce Development Framework (WDF) developed by NCWWI.