Where workforce matters
A confident, capable and connected workforce is the heartbeat of quality education and care, shaping and nurturing children’s safety, learning and wellbeing every day. Across long day care, outside school hours care, family day care and kindergarten services Queensland’s early years workforce is professional, committed and vital: that’s why we’re creating The Queensland Early Years Workforce Institute (The Institute).
Our purpose is to elevate and sustain a capable workforce to enhance outcomes for children through sector and evidence informed workforce planning and development.
As a sector wide connector and navigator, we will bring together educators, teachers, leaders and the wider workforce, key stakeholders and government, to analyse and prioritise workforce challenges and identify practical ways to address them.
Our Vision is for a skilled, diverse and attuned early years workforce that delivers for children in Queensland.
What we will offer
Right now, we are establishing the foundations for The Institute to launch in October 2026. Building a new organisation requires consultation, discovery, planning, and testing. Stakeholders told us The Institute should grow gradually, build trust early, focus on demonstrating practical value and evolve over time. Our goal is not to replace existing supports and initiatives but to compliment and strengthen these in responding to the professional learning and workforce needs identified by educators and teachers.
Before The Institute’s launch, we will pilot a collaborative workforce planning approach in a small number of regions across Queensland. Establishing and working with time limited regional networks we will partner with and listen to the sector to strengthen regional collaboration, identify local workforce challenges and shape practical and targeted professional learning responses for 2027. This approach will be adapted and extended to all regions in 2027 and beyond.
Facilitate regional and statewide workforce planning through a sector and evidence informed model to identify workforce needs.
Curate, broker and connect the workforce to high quality professional learning opportunities where they live and work.
Amplify proven practice and explore innovative sector wide workforce responses to influence workforce change.
Build, coordinate and share data, knowledge and sector intelligence to inform service, regional and state planning, collaboration and development.
The Core Functions of The Institute
01
Facilitate regional and statewide workforce planning through a sector and evidence informed model to identify workforce needs.
02
Curate, broker and connect the workforce to high quality professional learning opportunities where they live and work.
03
Amplify proven practice and explore innovative sector wide workforce responses to influence workforce change.
04
Build, coordinate and share data, knowledge and sector intelligence to inform service, regional and state planning, collaboration and development.
Our Shared Values
Equitable
We recognise that people don’t all start from the same place, have the same barriers or the same needs. To genuinely support fairness, dignity and access we need to create the conditions where everyone can fully participate.
In our work we will make space and honour diverse voices and ways of knowing, consider and reduce barriers to access, offer tailored and flexible approaches and proactively invite feedback.
Progressive
We believe that people can grow, systems can evolve and the future can be better than the past. We have a deep commitment to growth, evolution, and forward movement.
In our work we will invest in long term solutions, stay evidence informed, be willing to adapt, change and learn and be curious and purposeful in how we behave and what we do.
Integrity
We believe in doing the right thing even when it is difficult or no one is watching. It’s about staying true to our values regardless of outside pressure.
In our work we will admit when we are wrong, be accountable for our actions, be truthful and transparent in our communications and treat people with respect and fairness.
Collaborative
We believe that shared effort produces richer outcomes and that collaboration creates something better than any one person or organisation could produce alone.
In our work we will invite input early and continually, communicate and share information openly and often, minimise duplication of effort and collaborate at all levels of our work.
Join the conversation
We know that a confident, connected and capable workforce is the heartbeat of high-quality education and care.