Policy discussions to kick off new ECEC Workforce and Wellbeing Forum

As the countdown begins to the inaugural ECEC Workforce and Wellbeing Forum, to be held in Melbourne on 17 July 2025, the team at The Sector, along with its partners, are excited to be bringing together a selection of subject matter experts from across the ECEC community to unpack some of the key workforce and wellbeing issues impacting the sector right now. 

“Opening the Forum with a policy-focused panel was intentional,” Jason Roberts, Founder of The Sector, said. 

“There is no doubt that this Government has taken huge strides in addressing some of the structural inequities through thoughtful policy like the Worker Retention Payment, but the real question is, will their position continue or will we see some changes in the months ahead?”

“What is the current state of play with the gender undervaluation case before the Fair Work Commission? Can we expect apprentice incentives to continue at the current rate, and what other policy tools do Federal and State Governments have at their disposal to support the ECEC workforce?”

“These are the questions most pressing for ECEC employers and educators right now, prompting us to assemble a panel of well-respected experts to provide insights.”

Expert panel to unpack key policy shifts in ECEC workforce landscape

To help unpack the policy landscape, Mr Roberts will be joined on stage by ACA president Paul Mondo, Dandolo Partners policy analyst, Stacey Fox, and Luke Bo’sher, Assistant Deputy Secretary (Kindergarten Expansion and Pre-Prep Reform) at the Department of Education, Victoria.

Mr Mondo brings almost two decades of experience in the ECEC advocacy and operating spheres to the event, and importantly, was intimately involved in the extended enterprise bargaining negotiations which ultimately laid the foundations for the Worker Retention Payment grants.

Ms Fox, whose pioneering work on the enablers of retention and drivers of attrition for the early childhood education and care workforce, places her in a strong position to draw on a wide range of research that has underpinned current ECEC workforce policy and is likely to contribute to future policy decisions too. 

And Mr Bo’sher, who is currently tasked with implementing the Kinder Expansion and Pre-Prep Reform program currently unfolding across the state, will bring a unique Government lens to policy discussions and the implications from his perspective. 

“It’s rare to find a panel with such deep and diverse expertise across the ECEC workforce and wellbeing policy. Paul, Stacey, and Luke bring invaluable perspectives, and I’m genuinely excited to host what will be a standout session,” Mr Roberts said.

ECEC Workforce and Wellbeing Forum, an opportunity to engage with sector leaders

The ECEC Workforce and Wellbeing Forum, an innovative new event launched as part of the Connect+ series by The Sector, aims to offer ECEC organisations and their representatives, including not-for-profit, community, and Government services, the opportunity to engage with leading subject matter experts and proven, high-profile ECEC leaders via carefully curated, moderator-led panel discussions combined with extended delegate-led Q&A.

Session 1 “ECEC Workforce Policy Environment – Exploring the past, present and future” will open the event and aims to address some of the many questions that the sector is grappling with amid policy evolution, and potential future change.

“Our intention at The Sector has always been to ensure that everyone engaged with the ECEC sector is sufficiently informed in a way which helps them to navigate their day-to-day roles and responsibilities,” Mr Roberts said. 

“This panel, and the event as a whole, will do just that. We look forward to welcoming all of the delegates on 17 July and hosting a memorable event that will become a key part of the annual events calendar.”

To find out more about the ECEC Workforce and Wellbeing Forum, click here. 

More details and to register, click here or contact Anna Boshell via email at [email protected] for more information.

Thursday 17 July 2025

The Hotel Windsor, Melbourne

Register here

Step away from the day-to-day and join the conversation shaping the future of ECEC.