Building a professional and engaged ECEC workforce

Research Team Academics – QUT and CSU Karen ThorpeDevelopmental Psychology Sue IrvineECEC Policy and Practice Paula McDonaldManagement and workforce strategy Jo LunnECEC education and training Jennifer SumsionECEC Education and training Wendell CockshawWorkforce wellbeing Industry Partners Kate LileyResearch director, Goodstart Early Learning Pam SpallC&K Queensland Mary LincolnOECEC, Depart Education and Training and Employment, QLD

Educator SatisfactionTurnover Attachment security Training Quality of interaction LearningChild

ARC Study : Key Question What factors enable and impede recruitment, retention, engagement and on-going professional qualification of early years educators, in the context: 1.National and State policies and strategies? 2.Local workplace ecosystems? What factors enable and impede recruitment, retention, engagement and on-going professional qualification of early years educators, in the context: 1.National and State policies and strategies? 2.Local workplace ecosystems?

National Early Years Workforce Strategy Goal: Raise the quality of ECEC Recruitment and retention Improved qualifications Local Work Eco-systems

Research literature : Staying and Training Motivations Reward of working with children Belonging to a team Autonomy and social justice Barriers Pay and conditions Career progression Local conditions

Study aims Identify the personal, professional and workplace mechanisms associated with staying and training in the EY workforce Track occupational trajectories and pathways of EY professional development over time and their association with policy, practice and personal dynamics Assess the role of local contexts in predicting staying and training with reference to different workplace conditions and variation across urban, regional and remote locations Translate research findings to inform Commonwealth and State government departments about current policies and strategies and provide advice regarding effective strategies to improve engagement, qualifications and workplace conditions for the EY workforce.

Research questions, methods and outcomes What personal and professional factors are associated with staying and training National Survey of ECEC providers and intense case studies in 14 centres Overview and identification of key locations and focus for intervention What is the role of local work ecosystems on staying and training Study of staff in 14 centres in three locations with different work ecosystems Identification of local and personal variation in motivation and barriers What are the impacts of current strategies Longitudinal tracking of the effects of and perspectives of ECEC providers Feedback on appropriate strategies into the future

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