The Queensland Government’s Early Years Workforce Strategy recognises the powerful impact the early years workforce has on children’s success and wellbeing. The strategy identified the need for a new institute that would collaborate with the sector and government to support a sustainable, professional workforce that delivers for children in Queensland.
In 2025 the Queensland Government partnered with The Bryan Education Foundation – a Queensland based philanthropic organisation – to work with the education and care sector to establish the Queensland Early Years Workforce Institute.
Between May and October 2025, consultation occurred with over 70 stakeholders from 54 Early Childhood Education and Care services and ancillary organisations to inform the concept of The Institute, its critical features, where it could provide value and how it could function. Stakeholders overwhelmingly supported the concept of a Queensland Early Years Workforce Institute with feedback emphasizing the importance of:
- an independent entity informed by the sector
- begin with a focus on the education and care workforce and extend to the broader early year’s workforce over time
- adopt a sector-wide view of the skills and needs of the workforce across all parts of the education and care sector
- consider the diverse needs of First Nations and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse workforces
- take a facilitation, stewardship and sector coordination role for workforce development activities prioritising regionally accessible professional learning opportunities that reflect local workforce needs.
- an independent entity informed by the sector
- begin with a focus on the education and care workforce and extend to the broader early year’s workforce over time
- adopt a sector-wide view of the skills and needs of the workforce across all parts of the education and care sector
- consider the diverse needs of First Nations and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse workforces
- take a facilitation, stewardship and sector coordination role for workforce development activities prioritising regionally accessible professional learning opportunities that reflect local workforce needs.
With the sectors insights and guidance in hand, an establishment team is taking the time to intentionally and collaboratively set up The Institute. This includes our operational structures, governance settings, engaging with the sector and developing and piloting our workforce planning and development framework to guide our approach.
An interim Stakeholder Advisory Council is guiding our way, with a focus on establishing solid foundations for The Institute to officially launch as a separate entity in October 2026 with its own Board of Directors, CEO and Team.
Our Journey to Establishment
2023
- The Queensland Early Years Workforce Institute announced
2024
- Pre-establishment sector consultation
2025
- Queensland Early Childhood Workforce Strategy 2025–2028
- Queensland Government and The Bryan Education Foundation partnership to establish the Institute
2025
- Statewide consultation with sector
2026
- State-wide Sector Engagement
- Queensland Early Years Workforce Institute Launches