ACECQA updates workforce dashboard tracking progress on national ECEC strategy

The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has updated its Shaping Our Future Workforce Dashboard, providing the sector with the latest snapshot of progress against Australia's 10-year national workforce strategy for early childhood education and care (ECEC).

The dashboard monitors implementation of Shaping Our Future: A Ten-Year Strategy for Australia's Children's Education and Care Workforce (2022–2031), giving governments, approved providers and sector stakeholders greater visibility of the initiatives underway to strengthen the attraction, retention, capability and recognition of the ECEC workforce.

The interactive dashboard has been developed to support transparency and accountability by reporting on actions being delivered under the national workforce strategy.

The latest update outlines progress across the strategy's six priority areas, which focus on:

• attracting and retaining a skilled workforce
• improving qualifications and career pathways
• strengthening leadership capability
• supporting educator wellbeing
• enhancing professional recognition
• improving workforce data and evidence to inform future planning.

ACECQA said the dashboard is intended to provide a central source of information on implementation progress while helping governments and the sector monitor the delivery of nationally agreed workforce initiatives.

Rather than measuring workforce shortages alone, the dashboard tracks the progress of actions being undertaken by governments and sector partners throughout the life of the 10-year strategy.

Users can explore completed initiatives, work currently in progress and actions that remain underway, providing a national overview of how the strategy is being implemented.

The dashboard will continue to be updated as additional initiatives are delivered.

The update comes as workforce attraction and retention continue to be among the sector's most significant challenges.

Governments across Australia have identified workforce sustainability as a key priority, with reforms continuing to focus on increasing professional recognition, supporting leadership development, improving educator wellbeing and creating stronger career pathways.

The dashboard provides a mechanism for monitoring how those commitments are progressing over time.

For approved providers and service leaders, the dashboard offers an opportunity to better understand the broader national workforce agenda and how current initiatives align with the long-term vision for the profession.

While individual services continue to respond to local workforce pressures, the dashboard demonstrates the collective effort being made by governments and sector partners to build a sustainable, qualified and valued workforce capable of meeting future demand.

As implementation of the 10-year strategy continues, the dashboard is expected to remain a key resource for tracking national progress and identifying areas where further action may be required.

Further information: Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), National Workforce Dashboard here.