The Early Childhood Workforce Retention Guide is aimed at all types of early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers. It supports service leaders to reflect on current retention efforts and consider opportunities to strengthen their workforce planning.
The benefits of workforce retention are well understood. Well-staffed teams create positive environments that reduce burn-out and increase wellbeing and trust. A stable workforce supports strong relationships with parents, families and most importantly, continuity of care and learning for children.
Retention also helps services operate more efficiently and effectively and contributes to financial stability by reducing costs associated with recruitment, backfilling staff and onboarding new employees.
Supporting workforce planning
The guide brings together contemporary Australian and international research and case studies from a range of Victorian ECEC services, and includes information on:
- the benefits of improving workforce retention efforts
- the 4 key elements that support workforce wellbeing and retention: skilled and supported leaders, positive workplace culture, defined role expectations, and effective systems and processes
- practical strategies to consider when thinking about improving retention
- a directory of resources to help services take action.
While there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, service leaders are encouraged to reflect on the strategies and practices outlined in the guide and consider how they might be relevant to their local circumstances and complement existing efforts.
Find out more
To access the guide, refer to: Early Childhood Workforce Retention Guide(opens in a new window).
For further information, refer to the Early Childhood Induction Toolkit.
Updated