On this page:
- General program information
- About the Website
- Technical information
- What Grant assistance is available?
- The Practicum Exchange Living Allowance (PELA)
General program information
The government is investing $72.4 million in professional development opportunities from 2023–24 to 2026–27. The measures aim to:
- Strengthen skills and professional experience
- Improve staff retention
- Build supply
- Increase capacity
The Practicum Exchange Network is one of these measures.
What is the Practicum Exchange Network?
Practicums help ECEC educators in training gain practical workplace experience in an early childhood educational setting. Generally, practicums:
- Are mandatory to become a qualified ECEC educator
- Must be partly completed outside of an educator’s primary ECEC service
Practicum exchanges can foster:
- Diverse experience and knowledge
- Networking and support opportunities
- Skill and knowledge transfer
Practicums can be challenging for some, particularly students in rural and remote areas with few or no other services nearby. The Practicum Exchange Network aims to facilitate Practicum exchanges via a dedicated website. In early 2025, participants undertaking an exchange in a rural or remote area can apply for a living and travel allowance of $1,543.50 per week.
About the Website
How does it work?
The Practicum Exchange website:
- Allows ECEC educators in training and services to submit expressions of interest
- Allows ECEC educators in training and services to connect with each other
- Provides information on the Practicum Exchange Living Allowance (PELA)
Do I need to Register?
When you register, the website will create your User profile based on the information you provide. Your User profile is needed to send and receive practicum placement requests and organize placements. Your User profile can be updated by you at any time.
As a registered User, you will be able to find other educators or services in your area or further afield who are wanting to undertake a practicum exchange.
How can I search for placements?
There are several ways to search for placements, and your search can be filtered depending on your preferences. Your initial search will be for services or educators in a specific location (especially if you want to complete your placement close to home or if you are an educator in a rural/remote location and need to travel).
Once you have searched by location, a list of services or educators will be displayed. You can then further refine your search by care type and child age. By clicking on any service or educator you are interested in, you will be able to view more details such as bios and areas of interest.
How do I connect with a service/educator?
Once you have registered your details, you are able to search for educators or services. If you find an educator or service you would like to connect with, you can send a request to them on their bio page. Likewise, you can receive requests from educators or services to meet. When either your request to meet is accepted or if you accept a request to meet, an automatic email will be sent providing your details to the requestor.
Technical information
Questions relating to difficulties or errors when trying to use the website can be submitted through the Contact Us form on the website. Your issue will be investigated and you may be contacted by the website team from 101 web technology.
Issues logging on
To protect the stability of the service and your data, we have built-in protection that will block any user account that fails to enter the correct password more than 5 times per IP address within an hour.
Do I need to fill in all fields when registering?
You do not need to fill in all fields to create a profile. The website has been designed with your privacy in mind, however we do need a minimum set of data such as your name and email address, enough to match and facilitate an exchange.
Can I delete my profile?
Yes, you can delete your profile. However your data will not be retained. If you want to conduct searches or connect with other Users to arrange placements you will need to create a new account.
How do I reset my password?
You can reset your password in two ways:
- If you forgot your password when attempting to login, you will have access to the "Reset password" functionality.
- Once you are logged in, you will have access to change your password via your profile page.
Which email address should I use when registering?
For Educators: Use an account which you will have access to throughout the duration of your course and any placements.
For Services/Providers: Use your Service/Provider email address account used by you at a service in the capacity of your position.
What Grant assistance is available?
We’re supporting early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers to offer professional development opportunities to teachers and educators. Support includes the Paid Practicum Subsidy and, from early 2025, the Practicum Exchange Living Allowance for educators living in regional rural and remote locations.
The Practicum Exchange Living Allowance (PELA)
When will the PELA be available?
The PELA will be open early next year. Availability will be communicated through the Practicum Exchange website and the
Why is PELA only available to educators in regional rural and remote locations?
Many students living in these locations face significant barriers in completing their practicum at another service. PELA helps educators to temporarily relocate to complete their practicum placement requirements.
Can educators apply for the PELA?
No. Providers of the educator's home service will need to apply on behalf of their educators who are undertaking a Practicum exchange.
How much funding can I get?
The grant will be calculated based on a weekly amount of $1,543.50 per week for up to four weeks.
Does the department arrange travel and accommodation on behalf of the educator/provider?
No. Making travel and accommodation arrangements is the responsibility of exchange participants. Participants are encouraged to retain receipts of expenditure associated with the placement for record-keeping purposes.