Quality early childhood education and care gives children a flying start to life, helping develop important literacy, numeracy and social skills. Approximately 26,000 people are currently employed in the delivery of early childhood education and care services across Queensland.
There is a wide range of employment opportunities and flexible working options available within the early childhood education and care sector. These include starting out in a centre based service, to directing a service or opting to work from home as a family day care educator.
Significant state and national reform, coupled with government investment in early childhood education and care, has increased the demand for skilled workers in the sector. In fact, it is estimated that up to 1,000 extra early childhood teachers may be required to meet anticipated workforce demand by 2014 and an additional 2,100 educators may be required by 2016 once new educator-to-child ratios are introduced.
To help the sector meet this increasing demand for quality staff , on 7 July 2011 the Queensland Government released the Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce Action Plan 2011-2014 
which represents an investment of approximately $76 million in the early childhood education and care workforce over three years from 2011-12 to 2013-14.
The Action Plan contains a diverse range of workforce strategies and initiatives to assist the sector in attracting, developing and retaining a high calibre early childhood education and care workforce in Queensland.
The Action Plan builds on extensive support outlined in the former Children's Services Skilling Plan 
, which was designed to assist new and existing early childhood educators to achieve vocational education and training qualifications under the Child Care Act 2002.
This significant component of the Action Plan has been reshaped to focus on the future needs of the early childhood workforce in light of the introduction of the National Quality Framework from 1 January 2012. The Action Plan also contains over $20 million per annum to support vocational education and training delivery across Queensland to the early childhood sector.
More information
Workforce Action Plan InitiativesThis page was last reviewed on 13 Jul 2011
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© The State of Queensland (Department of Education, Training and Employment) 2010.
