Anyone working in the early childhood sector in 2024 knows two things:

1. There is no other career which gives you the same sense of passion, pride and purpose
2. Quality educators are “spoilt for choice” when it comes to choosing an employer.

With so many opportunities for talented early childhood professionals to make their mark, what makes Jenny’s ELC an employer of choice?

To find out more, we caught up with the Jenny’s team to learn about what bought them to the Jenny’s fold, and what keeps them there, learning and leading day after day.

Bree’s story

We started our conversation with Bree McCarroll, who leads the team at Jenny’s ELC Maiden Gully.

Bree’s career journey with Jenny’s began with a Certificate III trainee position in 2017, and she quickly realised early childhood education was the sector for her.

After finishing her Cert III she had ‘caught the bug’ and wanted to learn more, moving to studying her Diploma to consolidate and expand on her knowledge.

Once she had both qualifications and experience she moved into room leader roles, which she held for a number of years.

“Being a room leader taught me a lot about child development and creating a great learning environment, for not only the children but the educators around me,” she said.

It was this desire to make a difference in the lives of other early childhood professionals which spurred her on to seeking out leadership positions with Jenny’s.

“I wanted to take on more responsibility and grow professionally,” Bree explained.

“I’ve worked alongside so many amazing educators, and the experience of both being mentored and mentoring has made a big impact on my desire to lead.”

Her leadership journey began by becoming the 2IC at Strathfieldsaye, a position she held for almost two years.

Being the 2IC, she explained, helped her to learn about leadership and teamwork on a larger scale, and was one of the most rewarding experiences in her career thus far.

“While I was 2ic I had learnt so much alongside some amazing mentors and I saw these mentors as role models and a vision of what I wanted to be, so I took the big step of becoming the director of Maiden Gully JELC,” she continued.

“My journey at Jenny’s ELC has been about learning, growing, and following my passion for early childhood education. Each step has been important in shaping who I am as an educator and leader today, and I’m excited to keep making a positive impact in children and educators’ lives.”

Reward and recognition

Jenny’s ELC prides itself on being an employer that acknowledges the contributions of each and every team member.

As a provider, Jenny’s ELC cannot make a difference every day without the support of a strong, committed and dedicated team of high quality professionals.

There are a number of programs and initiatives in place to reward and recognise the wonderful work the Jenny’s ELC team does, including Employment Hero Dollars, which can be spent in the Swag Store, celebrations for birthdays, work anniversaries and graduations, and wellness days.

Employees of Jenny’s ELC earn $25 hero dollars on their birthday each year, $10 hero dollars of each year of service, $50 hero dollars for graduating from a Certificate III program, and $100 hero dollars for graduating from a Diploma program.

Education is rewarded too, with Bachelor Degree Graduation Scholarships available up to the value of $5000.

Each service also has a number of initiatives which are developed in house, and suited to the individual needs of each community and staff team.

This can include fresh fruit baskets, monthly coffee treats and other small aspects to make the working day more comfortable.

To learn more about the opportunities available when working for Jenny’s ELC, contact the team on hrvic@jennyselc.com.au for a confidential discussion, or view the range of positions available here.