An Early Years Institute is the cornerstone of a new workforce strategy for the sector in Queensland.
State Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the Queensland Early Childhood Workforce Strategy aimed to address workforce shortages and boost professional development.
Minister Langbroek said the strategy included an “Australian-first” Queensland Early Years Institute.
He said the key professional development initiative would be supported by a $9.15 million investment to help train educators to address challenging behaviour and $7.4 million over two years to ensure aspiring educators develop leadership and management skills.
“This adds to the 2025-26 Budget commitment to safeguard Queensland children by bolstering the Early Childhood watchdog with an additional $12.7 million in funding and 29 full-time regulatory officers.”
Minister Langbroek said additional boots on the ground would ensure the Regulatory Authority conducted more visits and more safety checks at Queensland childcare centres.
He said a roundtable would be held today (July 9) with key early childhood stakeholders, the Queensland Family and Children’s Commissioner and Australian Early Childhood Quality Authority (ACECQA) to help fast-track next actions to secure the sector and better protect children.
“More than 54,000 staff work in the sector in Queensland, welcoming more than 330,000 children to over 3300 early childhood services and this number continues to grow.”
Minister Langbroek said the Queensland Early Childhood Workforce Strategy was centred around six strategic priorities:
- Attract and retain: Promotes early childhood as a rewarding career including the range of benefits, supports and experiences on offer to tackle workforce shortages and increase the number of educators in centres.
- Qualifications, skills, and pathways: Bolsters the skills and capabilities of the sector through targeted support and high-quality training pathways.
- Quality: Driving continuous improvements to the sector to ensure there is a sustained, skilled, and capable workforce.
- Strong leadership: Inspiring leadership excellence through targeted professional development strategies.
- Professional recognition: Acknowledges the expertise of the early childhood workforce and elevates the status of the profession.
- Wellbeing and resilience: Fostering the wellbeing of workers by providing access to guidance programs and support.
