Dubbo's Jessica Dawson fronts Big Roles in Little Lives campaign

"I couldn't see myself doing anything else regardless of the fractures and challenges in our sector at the moment," she told the Daily Liberal.

"It's about planning really beautiful experiences for children and interacting with peers and families of all demographics and all walks of life. You get to hear and learn lots of peoples' stories and get really connected to the community."

"We also have a lot of fun - we can be carefree and like big kids sometimes."

Now the Centre Director at Dubbo Early Education and Care, Ms Dawson has been working in the early childhood education sector since she left school and said it has been a really "rewarding" career with many special moments.

"I did twelve years working on the floor and I've always had the drive and ambition to become a director when the time was right. I've been in that role now for about five years," she said.

"In this sector, you have to be in it for the passion and for that desire to make a change. I've always wanted to make a difference in the lives of other people and it just so happened to be little people."

Ms Dawson is one of the faces of the Big Roles in Little Lives campaign, a national campaign launched by the Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) to promote the importance of early childhood educators in supporting children's learning and families' lives.

The campaign runs across TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook and targets high school-leavers and career-changers, highlighting the flexibility, satisfaction and social impact that come with roles in the early learning and care sector.

"I'm a big advocate for those first five years and its importance for the development and education of children. And there's really strong research behind that," she said.

"Early childhood education is all about shaping curiosity and love of learning in really early years and giving children strong foundations to be eager learners about both the world and the environment that they live in."

"To create environments for children that offer them an abundance of skills to move into the next chapter of their lives is really important."

The campaign comes as child care centres and preschools across the country struggle to find enough staff to fill thousands of vacancies.

ELACCA says the demand for early childhood teachers is at an "all-time high" in Australia. In July, there were 7,063 job vacancies advertised online for early childhood educators, teachers and centre managers.

In Dubbo, a shortage of childcare workers is making it difficult for centres to operate at full capacity and has even led to instances where centres have had to send children home as they have been unable to find cover for staff who have called in sick.

The shortage of staff has also forced local parents to make tough decisions about whether or not to return to work after being unable to secure a childcare spot as centres face increasing demand and years-long waitlists.

Ms Dawson said the high number of job openings means there are plenty of jobs available pathways for growth with the sector.

"There's so much opportunity and so much opportunity for growth and to be a point of difference for other people in their lives. And that goes for both children and their families," she said.

"Sometimes you're not only a teacher or director, you're someone to offer guidance and support in other areas. It's a really multifaceted sector and what you're able to achieve is a lot more than just teaching and caring for children."

She hopes raising the profile of early childhood education and breaking down some of the misconceptions around it will make it a more enticing profession for graduates and those looking for a career change.

"Sometimes we get lost in the wings. We need to see long daycares and preschools as early education just like primary schools," she said.

"Once you start that shift in perception that it's early education and care, and they're teachers and educators not just childcare workers, it will change the way people value the sector in terms of wanting to work in the sector."

There's no one kind of person who would make a good early childhood educator, says Ms Dawson, but there's opportunity for all kinds of people to bring their passions into the role and make a difference.

"You should be creative and out of the box thinkers. I have a very multifaceted staff - there are the creative ones, culturally driven, the sporty types and the nature lovers. We really focus on supporting and advocating for staff to be the best versions of themselves," she said.

"We take the best values of all people and we're a very inclusive sector which takes people of all walks of life."

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