At One Tree we’re always looking for different ways to support our regional and remote services. That’s why we launched our EduTribe Fly In Fly Out (FIFO) program in early 2021. Since we opened the program to West Australian educators, we’ve had great early success. We will be expanding the program nationally to support more services, locations, and families in late 2021-2022.
Discover the EduTribe (FIFO) program
The EduTribe FIFO program is a work adventure that’s unlike any other in early education. Our FIFO educators travel Western Australia and get paid for it. They go on short term work contracts to regional and remote services that need them most. All FIFO educators enjoy weekends off the explore far-flung corners of Western Australia. When they return from each contract, they enjoy blocks of uninterrupted time to connect with family and friends.
We try to make life easy for our educators who are working away. We organise almost everything for the time they are working at each location. Housing, transport, transfers, and most meals will be supplied or claimable.
The EduTribe FIFO program is connected to our EduTribe initiative. EduTribe is an online community that is has been created for educators and early education professionals. We have a community of 9,000+ educators and it is growing every day.
Making a difference for rural families with the EduTribe FIFO program
There is a childcare shortage of childcare places in rural and remote towns. The Australia Talks survey found that six out of 10 regional families can’t easily access childcare. Without available childcare, parents and carers cannot return to return to work and they miss out on the social, emotional, and financial benefits of employment.
The childcare shortage is magnified by the childcare workforce crisis. Currently, the sector is missing 7% of its workforce and demand for qualified educators in Australia is growing. When services don’t have educators, they are unable to increase childcare places for families. In regional and rural towns, the workforce crisis is magnified because staff turnover is higher and there are more barriers to finding qualified people.
We developed the EduTribe FIFO program in response to the childcare issues rural and remote towns face. The program has already had great early success with 23 educators supporting rural and remote services in Western Australia. The EduTribe FIFO program has enabled One Tree Community Services to maintain childcare places in 11 locations.
EduTribe FIFO educators are enjoying the experience too. One director loved living in rural Australia so much she decided to stay as the full-time director at the One Tree South Hedland service.
How educators can join the program
Working as a FIFO educator isn’t for everyone. However, it only takes three steps for educators to see if they’re a fit for the EduTribe FIFO educator program.
- Read more about the program
- Complete the 2-minute FIFO quiz.
- Book a free call with the EduTribe FIFO team.
We’re looking forward to seeing how the EduTribe FIFO model grows over the next 12 months. Discover more about the EduTribe FIFO experience here.
