How do you build and keep your dream team? ECEC Workforce and Wellbeing Forum tackles the big questions

As excitement builds for the ECEC Workforce and Wellbeing Forum, set to take place in Melbourne on 17 July 2025, The Sector is pleased to confirm the panel line-up for one of the event’s most anticipated sessions: “Attraction and Retention – How do you build, and keep, your dream team?” that will be hosted by respected consultant Catharine Hydon of Hydon Consulting.

 

This session will unpack the layered realities of building and retaining a high-performing team in early education. From strategic staffing choices to team dynamics, from values-driven leadership to managing cultural fit, leaders will explore what it truly means to attract, support and keep exceptional educators. 

 

With a sharp eye on the current context and deep respect for lived experience, Catharine will guide panellists through a discussion that promises equal parts provocation and practicality. While the questions are big, the goal is simple: better outcomes for children through stronger, more sustainable teams.

 

“Catharine brings a rare combination of insight, warmth and straight-talking clarity to every conversation,” said The Sector founder Jason Roberts. “Her ability to distil complexity and inspire action makes her an exceptional moderator, someone who truly understands the realities of leadership in early education.”

 

“The health of our workforce is the health of our sector,” Mr Roberts continued, “We know that services are working hard to support their teams in an increasingly complex environment. This forum is about lifting that work up, sharing what’s working, what’s next, and what we must do differently.”

 

The art of attraction and retention: Catharine Hydon sets the scene

 

As we move through an already demanding year for the early childhood sector, the need for informed, compassionate leadership has never been greater. Leaders continue to seek meaningful ways to embed wellbeing into workplace culture beyond checklists and token gestures.

 

Catharine Hydon believes that creating sustainable cultures of care requires leaders to step into complexity with courage and clarity.

 

“Wellbeing isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s essential to the success of our sector,” Catharine explains. “And that means leading with integrity, listening deeply, and being honest about what is and isn’t working in our settings.”

 

With decades of experience across policy, practice and pedagogy, Catharine brings a unique ability to navigate the grey areas facilitating conversations that are both grounded and transformative.

 

“We need to stop pretending that wellbeing can be solved with a poster in the staffroom,” she says. “It starts with valuing educators as professionals and creating spaces where relationships, reflection and trust can flourish.”

 

Her leadership on this panel will ensure the discussion cuts through complexity offering attendees not just ideas, but direction.

 

Meet the panellists: Insight, influence and action

 

The “Attraction and Retention – How do you build, and keep, your dream team?” session will bring together a panel of sector leaders whose combined expertise spans government, research and frontline delivery.

 

“The experts assembled for this panel offer the depth and diversity of perspective this topic demands,” said Mr Roberts. “We are proud to welcome Sue, Sheila and Sarah to the Forum. Their insights will ensure a rich, practical and future-focused conversation about what it takes to build teams that last.”

 

Sue Chamberlain-Ward: Leading with values

 

As Executive Manager, People and Culture at Gowrie Victoria, Sue has long championed the idea that educators thrive in environments where values aren’t just stated, they’re lived. Her contribution to the panel will explore how culture, leadership and learning pathways intersect to drive long-term workforce outcomes.

 

Professor Sheila Degotardi: Bridging research and practice

 

As a professor from Macquarie University, Sheila brings a unique research-informed lens to the discussion. Her work on early learning, educator-child relationships and quality pedagogy gives her a sharp perspective on how professional identity and practice influence educator retention.

 

Sarah Logan: Policy insight meets people strategy

 

As Director, Workforce Policy and Programs Kindergarten Expansion and Pre-Prep Reform at Department of Education Victoria, Sarah brings deep expertise in early childhood policy, stakeholder engagement and program implementation. Her work has spanned major reforms, giving her a system-level view of how strategy translates into service-level impact.

 

This panel brings together a powerful group of leaders whose experiences span policy, pedagogy, research and service delivery. Their combined insight will offer delegates a multi-layered view of what it takes to attract and retain great educators in today’s climate.

 

A timely opportunity to be part of the conversation

 

The ECEC Workforce and Wellbeing Forum is a new addition to The Sector’s Connect+ event series, offering participants a chance to engage directly with some of the sector’s most experienced leaders in an intimate, interactive format.

 

Alongside Catherine’s panel, the event features a full program of thought-provoking sessions, all designed to equip services with the insights and strategies they need to support their people and plan for the future.

 

“This event is about building connections, not just content,” said Mr Roberts. “It’s for leaders who want more than just ideas, they want roadmaps, relationships and real solutions.”

 

Spaces are limited, and interest is strong.

 

The forum will conclude with networking drinks hosted by The Sector, giving attendees the opportunity to exchange ideas, deepen professional relationships and continue the conversation beyond the day’s sessions.

To register, click here or contact Anna Boshell at [email protected]