Latest News

• Add My News • Search Old News

Gippsland › Latest news › Harriet Shing MP

Getting Ready for Three-Year-Old Kinder in Eastern Victoria

Support for new teachers from the landmark roll-out of funded Three-Year-Old Kinder.

By Portal Admin - 2nd December 2019 - Back to News

The biggest reform of early childhood education is now closer, as the Andrews Labor Government gets on with supporting new teachers as part of the landmark roll-out of funded Three-Year-Old Kinder.

Member for Eastern Victoria, Harriet Shing today welcomed a $9.2 million package to support early childhood teachers at the beginning of their careers, as we continue rolling out our historic $5 billion decade-long reform to deliver a full 15 hours of three-year-old kinder.

Three-Year-Old Kinder is expected to create around 6,000 jobs. More than 4,000 additional kinder teachers and more than 2,000 additional early childhood educators are needed as the program expands state-wide.

The Victorian Budget 2019/20 invested $92.4 million towards supporting, training and recruiting the teachers and educators we need, including scholarships of up to $34,000 for those studying an early childhood teaching qualification and incentive payments of up to $9,000 for those who choose to teach in roll-out areas.

And to ensure our early childhood services have the educators of the future, the Labor Government has added the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Certificate III in Early Childhood Education to the Free TAFE list.

The Labor Government’s $9.2 million New Workforce Package will give new early childhood teaching graduates the professional development and mentoring support they need to thrive and stay in the sector.

The new package will include grants of up to $2,872 to support Provisionally Registered Teachers progress to full registration, which can be challenging for those in standalone kinders and in more rural locations where they are often some distance from experienced mentors to support them through the process.

The Labor Government will boost professional development and networking opportunities with funds to support conferences for our newest teachers. And to ensure the very best placement opportunities in our kinders, this package includes $2.8 million for new partnerships between our universities and the early childhood sector.

Quote attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews:

"We said we’d deliver three-year-old kinder, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. This will give kids the very best start in life and save families money on the cost of early childhood education."

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing:

"We are absolutely determined to see every single child reach their full potential and three year-old kinder will help more of our littlest learners to develop the skills, resilience and confidence they need to thrive at school and beyond.

We are so proud to support the early childhood workforce across this region, which will be one of the first parts of the state to deliver funded kinder programs to three-year-olds."

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: support@gippsland.com

• The Nationals unveil Tradie Support Plan for Eastern Victoria, targeting skills shortages, apprenticeship costs and toll expenses
  The Nationals have announced a tradie support plan featuring apprentice training subsidies, 10 technical colleges for 5,000 students, and a $50 weekly toll cap, aiming to address skills shortages and support eastern Victoria businesses.
• Labor announces four new regional early learning centres for 2029, expanding access to kindergarten and long daycare places
  Labor will open four new Early Learning Victoria centres in Alexandra, Drouin, Hamilton and Seymour from 2029, providing more than 400 childcare and kindergarten places across regional Victoria.
• Victorian Landcare grants deliver $337,250 to support 40 community environmental projects across West Gippsland
  West Gippsland has received $337,250 through the 2026 Victorian Landcare Grants for 22 environmental projects and 18 support grants, backing koala habitat restoration, Tarwin River revegetation and community nature education initiatives.
• Regional ambulance response times deteriorate across Eastern Victoria under Labor, Melina Bath demands answers from Carroll government
  Melina Bath has criticised deteriorating ambulance response times across eastern Victoria, saying every local government area is worse than 12 years ago and calling on Labor to restore timely emergency care.
• Foster CFA volunteers await new station funding despite site and lease arrangements already being in place
  Foster CFA volunteers continue waiting for a new station, with a site and long-term lease secured. Danny O’Brien is calling for government funding to begin construction.
• Victoria releases ten-year waterway strategy to strengthen river, estuary, wetland and floodplain management across state
  Victoria has released its updated Waterway Management Strategy, outlining a ten-year plan to protect rivers, wetlands, estuaries and floodplains, while supporting community involvement and Traditional Owners’ cultural responsibilities.
• Victoria funds hundreds of landcare projects with $3.58M environmental investment across communities and regions
  Victoria’s 2026 Landcare Grants provide $3.58 million statewide, including $337,250 for West Gippsland projects restoring habitat, waterways and landscapes while supporting volunteers, families and young people.
• Baw Baw Shire Council urges Victorian election candidates to cut red tape and boost farm gate tourism opportunities
  Baw Baw Shire Council is urging Victorian election candidates to reduce red tape and ease planning restrictions on farm gate businesses, reforms could boost agritourism, support local producers, create jobs and strengthen regional tourism.
• Better Place Australia opens new Traralgon office to expand family support services across Gippsland amid rising community needs
  Better Place Australia has opened a new Traralgon office to expand family support services across Gippsland, addressing challenges including family separation, violence, financial stress and child vulnerability.
• Latrobe City Council ranks among Victoria's Top Five for Community Satisfaction in 2026 Snap Send Solve index
  Latrobe City Council has ranked fifth in Victoria for community satisfaction, scoring 64.6 in the 2026 Snap Send Solve Index, exceeding both national and Victorian averages.
• Melina Bath condemned Labor over soaring vehicle thefts, with Victoria recording nearly twice New South Wales' victims
  Melina Bath has condemned Labor over soaring vehicle thefts, citing Victoria's high theft rate and major increases across eastern Victoria, while calling for more police, stronger bail laws and tougher sentencing.
• Labor government invests $750,000 to support young Gippslanders into education, training and employment opportunities
  The Victorian Labor government is investing $750,000 in Ladder Step Up Latrobe Valley, supporting 120 young people facing barriers to education, training and employment through 2028.