Young Academics secures groundbreaking enterprise agreement, raising the bar in early childhood education

Young Academics Early Learning Centre, NSW’s leading early childhood education and care providers, have officially secured approval from the Fair Work Commission for its inaugural Enterprise Agreement (EA), signalling a bold step forward in workforce reform for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector.

With over 80% of employees participating in the vote and 97.6% of employees voting in favour out of 1200 employees company-wide, the new EA reflects Young Academics’ educator-first philosophy and commitment to building a sustainable, respected and empowered workforce.

“This has always been about putting people first,” said Trish Jaworski, Head of Human Resources at Young Academics.

From the beginning, our goal wasn’t just to create an agreement, it was to build a framework that genuinely supports our educators.

In a sector that’s rapidly evolving, stability matters. What we’ve achieved is a meaningful step forward that delivers real security and recognition to our people,” a core value of Young Academics, as a family-owned business since its establishment in 2009.

Replacing both the Children’s Services Award and the Educational Services (Teachers) Award, the EA introduces a suite of sector-leading benefits:

• Access to the Early Childhood Worker Retention Payment
• Locked-in above award wages for Centre Managers, Teachers, Educators, Trainees & Cooks
• Modern, fair and flexible working conditions
• Improved non-contact and programming time
• Wellbeing and Loyalty bonuses
• Additional paid rest breaks for Teachers
• Centre Manager Benefit Days (12 per year) in recognition of their leadership focus

The agreement was developed through 9 months of collaborative consultation with employee representatives and has also been endorsed by the Independent Education Union, who encouraged members to vote ‘yes’.

“Having worked in early childhood education for more than two decades, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges our educators face and the incredible impact they have,” said Jenni Gaffney, Chief Network Officer at Young Academics. “This Enterprise Agreement is a turning point. It’s a practical, people-first framework that supports our educators on the floor every day.”

Young Academics, now with over 50 centres across NSW, intends to use this landmark agreement as a foundation for broader reform, strengthening its educator-first model and championing lasting change across the early learning landscape.