Australia is always talking about how it needs more people to work in early childhood education. There are a lot of jobs at childcare centres. Many parents are waiting to get their kids into these centres. They complain about how expensive it’s that there are not enough staff. On paper it seems like the sector really needs teachers.

Many people who graduated from other countries with degrees in early childhood education are not getting jobs as teachers. They are working as educators or assistants instead. Sometimes they stay in these roles for years.

These people have jobs. They are working in classrooms. They are part of the workforce that Australia says it really needs.. They are not doing the job they were trained to do.

It is easy to say that this is a problem. Maybe they do not speak English enough. Maybe they are not confident. Maybe they do not fit in with the culture. People talk about these things in staff rooms and online.. When you talk to the graduates and the people who run the centres it seems like there is more to the story.

International students do the coursework as students from Australia. They learn about how children develop, how to plan lessons and how to assess students. They do the practicum placements. They meet all the requirements to become teachers. When they graduate their degree is the same as everyone.

The problem starts when they try to get a job. Some people who run the centres say that how you communicate is more important than what you learned in school. Working in a childcare centre can be fast paced. You have to be able to talk to parents work with your team and fill out paperwork quickly. A graduate might know about the theory of teaching but they might not know how to be a leader.

This might seem like a thing but it makes a big difference in how much you get paid what you are responsible for and how much respect you get.

For people who graduated from countries things can be even harder. Employers might worry about visa issues even if they are allowed to work. They might not have the connections as people from Australia. A person from Australia might know someone who can recommend them for a job. Someone from another country might not.

Over time it becomes normal for these graduates to be underemployed. A qualified teacher might stay in a role for a long time. They might start to feel like they’re not good enough. Some people leave the sector altogether.

This is not usually counted as a problem. Australia keeps saying that it needs workers in early childhood education.. It is not using the qualified teachers it already has.

Universities are in the middle of this problem. They teach students what they need to know. They help them get practicum placements.. Many graduates say that it is hard to go from being a student to being a real teacher. When you are a student you have a lot of guidance. When you are a teacher you have to figure things out on your own. Who is in charge of the classroom? How do you show that you are ready for responsibility?

These are rules.. They can be really hard for people who are new to the country to understand.

Some universities are trying to help. They are giving students time in practicum placements. They are providing mentorship. They are talking to students about how things work in childcare centres not just what the rules say. They are recognizing that getting a job is not about getting good grades. It is about being able to navigate the culture of the workplace.

This is not saying that employers are people. Many of them are just really busy. They are careful about who they hire. They want to make sure everything is stable.. Being too careful can mean that people get stuck in the same role, for too long.

Australia really relies on students to work in early childhood education. This makes you wonder if it is enough to train them and then not give them the opportunity to really use their skills.

When people are underemployed it does not make the news. It does not get a lot of attention.. It is a problem that affects a lot of people. If Australia really cares about childhood education maybe it should start by making better use of the qualified teachers it already has.