Program overview
Through the Queensland Early Childhood Workforce Strategy 2025–28, the Queensland Government is providing educational leaders with the opportunity to develop their pedagogical leadership and change management skills.
The Queensland Department of Education is partnering with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to deliver the Queensland Educational Leadership Program (QELP).
Program focus
The courses will support educational leaders to:
- understand, identify, drive and implement quality practice
- utilise data and evidence to support practice change
- understand and implement strategies to support children’s continuity of early learning.
Program design
QELP offers the following micro-credential courses.
QELP Foundations targeting new educational leaders with up to 3 years’ experience. Program educators will learn leadership skills, change management theory, and team teaching, observation and assessment.
QELP Advanced targets experienced educational leaders with 3+ years' experience. Leaders in this course will focus on leadership models, effective team teaching, and reflective practice.
Both courses follow the same model, and enrolments are based on experience, so educational leaders will only complete one micro-credential course.
Each course aligns with the Queensland kindergarten learning guideline and the National Quality Standard.
The course requires a time commitment of 50 hours over a 10-week period comprising:
- 1.5 hours per week with course participants online at the same time learning together (15 hours total)
- 3.5 hours of independent learning per week (35 hours total). Independent guided learning includes readings, online discussion forum and workbook.
QELP workload includes:
-
an action research project—participants identify an action research question for inquiry that is meaningful in their role as an educational leader
-
a showcase event—participants present their action research project to peers at the end of the program. This forms part of the final assessment.
Eligibility to register for the program
To be eligible for QELP, applicants must:
- be an Australian Citizen or permanent resident
- have completed an
Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority approved Certificate III or Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) or an early childhood undergraduate degree (Bachelor or higher degree)
- be employed as an educational leader in a Queensland-based long day care service or community kindergarten that is an approved kindergarten program provider
- have the support of their approved provider noting the course will take 50 hours to complete
- complete a 250 to 500 word response in the expression of interest form: 'Please outline your reasons for undertaking the course, the expected contributions your involvement will bring to your service, and how this aligns to your career aspirations'.
There are 50 places available in:
- QELP Advanced in Term 4 2026
- QELP Foundation in Term 2 2027
- QELP Advanced in Term 3 2027.
If the program is oversubscribed, priority will be given to educational leaders who meet the following criteria:
- Up to 5% of available places will be prioritised for educational leaders who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
- Educational leaders who work in services in areas of high disadvantage and vulnerability (e.g. SEIFA 1–5).
- A distribution of educational leaders who
- work in a service located in a rural, regional and metro location
- hold a Certificate III or Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care, or a university-level teaching degree
- work in for-profit and not-for-profit service
- identify as being culturally and linguistically diverse.
Costs associated with completing the program
There are no costs for educational leaders associated with participating and completing QELP.
The department provides 2 days of backfill contribution valued at $1,000 GST exclusive. Approved providers are to support the release of their educational leaders.
Application dates
QELP Advanced Term 4 2026 expression of interest application dates:
- Expressions of interest for Term 4 2026 close on 31 August 2026.
- Offers for Term 4 2026 cohort to be sent on 11 September 2026.
QELP Foundation Term 2 2027 expression of interest application dates:
- Expressions of interest for Term 2 2027 close on 1 March 2027.
- Offers for Term 2 2027 cohort to be sent on 15 March 2027.
QELP Advanced Term 3 2027 expression of interest application dates:
- Expressions of interest for Term 3 2027 close on 31 May 2027.
- Offers for Term 3 2027 cohort to be sent on 14 June 2027.
Class dates
Term 4 2026 class dates
| Orientation | Tuesday 29 September | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Seminar 1 | Tuesday 6 October | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Workshop 1 | Tuesday 13 October | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Seminar 2 | Tuesday 20 October | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Workshop 2 | Tuesday 27 October | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Seminar 3 | Tuesday 3 November | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Workshop 3 | Tuesday 10 November | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Seminar 4 | Tuesday 17 November | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Workshop 4 | Tuesday 24 November | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Showcase event | Tuesday 1 December | 4.00–5.30pm |
Term 2 2027 class dates
| Orientation | Tuesday 13 April | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Seminar 1 | Tuesday 20 April | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Workshop 1 | Tuesday 27 April | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Seminar 2 | Tuesday 4 May | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Workshop 2 | Tuesday 11 May | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Seminar 3 | Tuesday 18 May | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Workshop 3 | Tuesday 25 May | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Seminar 4 | Tuesday 1 June | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Workshop 4 | Tuesday 8 June | 4.00–5.30pm |
Term 3 2027 class dates
| Orientation | Tuesday 6 July | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Seminar 1 | Tuesday 13 July | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Workshop 1 | Tuesday 20 July | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Seminar 2 | Tuesday 27 July | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Workshop 2 | Tuesday 3 August | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Seminar 3 | Tuesday 10 August | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Workshop 3 | Tuesday 17 August | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Seminar 4 | Tuesday 24 August | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Workshop 4 | Tuesday 31 August | 4.00–5.30pm |
| Showcase event | Tuesday 7 September | 4.00–5.30pm |
Certificate of completion: micro-credential
At the completion of the course and upon submission of the 2 assessment tasks, QUT will provide participants with a certificate of completion.
QELP Foundations and QELP Advanced are accredited by QUT as micro-credentials, in accordance with the National Micro Credential Framework.
Alumni and champions program
QELP graduates will belong to an alumni program, which will sustain engagement and learning. Course graduates are invited to join 1 formal online network gathering meeting 6 months post-course completion. In addition, graduates will be invited to future course showcase events.
Key information for approved providers
Approved providers are required to indicate their support and sign each educational leader's EOI.
QELP students will be immersed in current theory and practice. Approved providers have a role to support QELP students to apply their newfound skills and learning within their early childhood service. We recommend encouraging them to:
- share their learnings in staff meetings and coaching/mentoring sessions with fellow educators and teachers
- implement new ideas and teaching practices through a change management strategy that is co-designed with all staff at the service
- continue to network with other educational leaders they met through the QELP course including other educational leaders at other early childhood services.
Promoting QELP
The
QELP flyer is available to help promote QELP in your service.
QELP facilitators
QELP Program Lead and Facilitator—Dr Marie White
Marie White is a Senior Lecturer at QUT in the School of Education. Marie teaches and researches in early childhood education and has recent experience as the Director of a community kindergarten in Queensland. Leveraging this experience, Marie teaches in the professional experience and early childhood development units within QUT's initial teacher education programs. Her PhD and continuing research focus is on effective leadership in ECEC and development of the ECEC workforce.
QELP Facilitator—Dr Jessamine Giese
Jessamine Giese brings extensive leadership and teaching experience within the early childhood education and care sector (ECEC), underpinned by a strong foundation in research following successful completion of a PhD in 2025. Jessamine's research focuses on early childhood workforce and policy translation. Jessamine is a lecturer in QUT’s Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) and Master of Teaching (Early Childhood).
Contact us
If you have any further questions about QELP, please email
qelp.ec@qed.qld.gov.au.