Jobs & Skills Month invites ECEC organisations into national career pathways conversation

The inaugural initiative will run from 20 October to 20 November 2026. Early childhood providers and training organisations can host free events and contribute their workforce experience.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers and training organisations can take part in the inaugural Jobs & Skills Month, a national initiative led by Jobs and Skills Australia.

Running from 20 October to 20 November 2026, the month will bring together organisations across education, training, industry and government under the theme Pathways to Success. Its program includes events and activities about career pathways, workforce challenges and skills development. 

For ECEC, the invitation is an opportunity to show how people enter the sector, develop their skills and build careers—and to explain where those pathways become difficult to navigate.

How ECEC organisations can participate

Jobs and Skills Australia is inviting organisations of all sizes to submit events for the national calendar. Events may be public, private or invitation-only, and held in person, online or in a hybrid format. They must be free to attend and delivered on a not-for-profit basis, even when hosted by a commercial organisation. Submissions are reviewed before publication. 

An ECEC provider could bring together prospective educators, services and training organisations to discuss entry pathways. A sector body might host a regional conversation about what helps people complete qualifications and remain in the workforce. These are possible ways to participate, rather than ECEC events announced by Jobs and Skills Australia.

Organisations can also check the developing Jobs & Skills Month event calendar for activities relevant to their teams.

Jobs and Skills Australia says the month will include the release of its 2026 Jobs and Skills Report. An event will also mark the release of Phase 2 of the Jobs and Skills Roadmap for Regional Australia, with a discussion about how workforce needs connect with housing, transport, infrastructure and access to services. The findings of those reports should be assessed when they are published. 

For regional ECEC providers, Phase 2 will be particularly worth watching. The earlier roadmap placed early childhood occupations within its essential services analysis and identified childcare access as a possible barrier to employment and training. The new report may provide a further basis for local workforce discussions.

Jobs & Skills Month does not itself announce new ECEC funding, fee-free courses or recruitment incentives. Its immediate value is the chance for early childhood organisations to contribute practical experience: what helps people enter the profession, what supports them to stay, and what needs to change in their communities.