Confused about wages :S

[Jayedottemme]

Hi everybody!

Firstly, thank you very much for this website and the community contributing help and support. You have all helped a lot during my studies!

I have a question in regards to how much I get paid. I am a lead educator in charge of a toddlers room and I am studying towards my diploma, cert III qualified. I have been in the childcare industry for under a year. Can someone please tell me how much I would be paid per hour if I were a) casual and b) part-time/permanent?

I have seen the table of wages listed on this website, but I don't know what level I am....

Was hoping to hear an answer from you lovely people before spending an hour on the phone figuring it out with an ombudsmen

Thank you!

[Lorina]

Hi,

Sorry for the delayed reply. The forum has been bombarded over the past couple of days so I had accidently missed your post!

Great to hear you that you enjoy the site! Thanks for the support and kind words!

Since you have not obtained your Diploma as yet and you are the lead educator in the toddler room, I would say that you are on Level 4A (working as a full/part time in the lead educator role). So, your minimum wages will be $21.48 or $29.64 as a casual worker.

If you are working as an assistant within the room, you will be on Level 3.1. Your minimum wages are $20.13 (working full/part time) or $25.16 as a casual assistant within the room.

Once you have obtained your Diploma qualification, the hourly wages changes since you will be qualified.

Hope this helps,

,
Lorina

[Lorina]

My apologise once again for the late response!

,
Lorina

[Mrscar36]

Hi my Daughters is just out of year 12 and has a cert III and currently doing a traineeship diploma and her pay rate is $12:15 hr does this sound right its just all to confusing
Thanks !

[Mrscar36]

Hi my Daughters is just out of year 12 and has a cert III and currently doing a traineeship diploma and her pay rate is $12:15 hr does this sound right its just all to confusing
Thanks !

[Lorina]

No it doesn't sound right at all!

Can you please tell me what position she is in at the centre for e.g. is she a room leader or an assistant educator?
Regarding her traineeship, to confirm, her centre is paying for her to study and work...

,
Lorina

[Lorina]

Also how old is your daughter 17.18?

Sorry for the questions but these all affect pay rates, surprisingly...

,
Lorina

[Mrscar36]

Hello lorina thank you for your reply; she is 17 years old she helps assist the room leader in holding group times etc. Today she asked about her payments and was informed that its like an apprenticeship. She is able to do anything invovled with the children as long as somebody older is their to supervise. Thanks

[Lorina]

I'm just going to contact Fair Work Australia for you to gain some more information. In your daughter's case, the circumstances are a little different since she is 17 with a cert 3 qualification and currently doing her Diploma so as far as I a understand she isn't yet paid as an adult. I will find out what exactly your daughter should be paid and let you know once I hear back from them.

Regarding wages, I just don't want to give you the wrong information so it's best I find out directly from Fair Work itself...

I hope you don't mind...

,
Lorina

[Mrscar36]

Thank you Lorina we really appreciate you helping us.

[Lorina]

[ref]Mrscar36[/ref],

It no problem at all! Wages are a sensitive issue, especially when talking about it with an employer, you need to get the information right so you can use it as evidence to be paid what you are owed. It's just so frustrating that employers take advantage of their staff when it comes to this issue... Since your daughter is under 18, she could be paid correctly, however, as she has completed her cert 3 qualification she wages may be a little more... Anyway, let's see what Fair Work have to say... I will let you know once I'm informed.

,
Lorina

[Lorina]

Mrscar36,

Hi! Hope you had a great weekend! So I got the following information back from Fair Work:

Hi Lorina,

Based on what you've told us, it looks like you're covered by the Children’s Services Award 2010 [MA000120]

Pay rates for full-time, part-time and school-based trainees are found in most awards in the National Training Wage Schedule. Use our Pay Calculator (which I have added to your links below) to calculate trainee and junior minimum pay rates.

If you're covered by a registered agreement, check the rates in the agreement.

An employee can't be paid trainee rates just because they're new to a job or are being trained in a new task. Employees can only be paid trainee pay rates when they have a formal training contract with their employer and are signed up with a Registered Training Organisation (eg. at TAFE).

Find more information you can contact the relevant state apprenticeship board -
NSW State Training Services on 13 28 11.

So, does your daughter have a training contract with an RTO?

,
Lorina

[Mrscar36]

Hi Lorina
Thank you we did have a great weekend! Hopefully you did as well?
As for my Daughter she has signed a contract with METS. And she is paying for this out of her own pocket thats one of the reasons i didn't understand the pay.
Thank you so much for getting back to us

[Lorina]

If your daughter is paying for the course herself then it isn't a traineeship as the centre should be paying for it and shouldn't be receiving traineeship pay. So, you will need to confirm this...

,
Lorina

[Mrscar36]

She having money taken out every week to cover the cost. And they told her she was a apprentice don't know if that makes any difference.

[Lorina]

It just doesn't make sense to me... I think you should contact the State Training Services... What state are you in?

,
Lorina

[Mrscar36]

I'm in NSW this is why i decided to post on this site because it just didn't make sense to me either. But i wanted to get all my facts right before we took it further.
Thank you so very much for everything you have done

[Lorina]

I'm going through the Junior Award to let you know what I think your daughter should be paid... Then we can compare what she is being paid now to what she should be paid. Also let me contact Fair Work once again and see what other info they can give me..

,
Lorina

[Mrscar36]

Ok thanks once again Lorina you have gone above and beyond for us

[Lorina]

No, not all! I'm here to help as best as I can...

Once again, I get back to you once I hear back from Fair Work...

,
Lorina