Training and capability building

Achieving better outcomes for children requires a workforce that is qualified, skilled and valued.

Key initiatives to enhance the capacity of Queensland's early childhood workforce include:

• Mentoring programs for early childhood teachers—to support teachers transitioning to full registration.
• Mentoring for provisionally-registered early childhood teachers—to support provisionally-registered early childhood teachers to better understand and respond to their role and responsibilities and progress to full teacher registration.
  
• Mentoring for preservice early childhood teachers—to support preservice teachers with their transition to the early childhood sector.
• Early childhood teacher bridging program—which allows registered primary school teachers to fast track their early childhood teaching qualification.
  
• Early childhood through Remote Area Teacher Education Program (RATEP)—RATEP is a successful, community-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teacher education program offered in Queensland's remote, rural and urban areas. Early childhood through RATEP allows educators to gain or upgrade early childhood qualifications while living and working in their home communities. The qualifications available include:
• Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
• Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
• Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education and Care).

Delivery is through a mix of online and face-to-face methods by attending residential blocks with other students studying in remote areas. Students will receive ongoing study support from tertiary education teachers and a RATEP Teacher Coordinator while they continue to live and work in their community. Tailored study support is also available with a dedicated RATEP Early Childhood Teacher Coordinator in the community.

For more information, including the communities where RATEP is offered, please email EarlyYearsLearningWFC@qed.qld.gov.au.

• Early childhood training skill sets—a number of early childhood skill sets are available through the Queensland Government's Higher Level Skills subsidy program to assist educators to gain the higher level skills required to help secure employment in the sector or career advancement. These include:
• Team Leader Skills set
  For leading and coordinating teams in health or community sector.
• Building inclusive practices in ECEC
  For workers to build inclusive practices in an early childhood education and care sector organisation.
• Supporting children and families with complex needs
  For providing services and support to families and children with complex needs in the community sector.

Resources

• Age-appropriate pedagogies—extend your knowledge with teaching resources based on age-appropriate pedagogies.
• AEDC resources—professional development resources to support the early childhood sector.
• Early years health and development online training—free, flexible professional development on hygiene practices, infection control, healthy eating, physical activity, injury prevention, safety promotion, and social and emotional wellbeing.
• Early years health and development portal—free tools and resources relating to early years health and development.
• ​Sleep learning research—professional development resources about sleep, rest and relaxation for children.
• Early Years Connect—access professional development resources tailored to early childhood educators working with children with disability and/or complex additional needs.