Australia needs tens of thousands more early childhood education workers, but poor pay and tough working conditions are driving people out of the sector.
In an industry that employs about 200,000 people, about 21,000 more qualified professionals are required to address the current shortage, another 18,000 must be hired to meet future demand and an additional 18,000 will be needed to help realise the federal government's child care subsidy and expanded preschool plans, a Commonwealth report found.
