Nursery World - Nursery Management Supplement: Recruitment

Go-ahead early years settings are coping with the sector’s workforce crisis by attracting quality apprentices and improving their recruitment tactics, discovers Gabriella Jozwiak

Busy Bees is in the process of hiring 700 apprentices.

Early years practitioners are well aware of the sector’s recruitment and retention challenges. Wages remain low and higher-qualified applicants are becoming rarer. Some early years experts warn that forthcoming changes to qualifications will worsen the situation, but others say there is light at the end of a dark tunnel. Could apprenticeships, childminder agencies and improved recruitment strategies help boost workforce numbers?

According to the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) 2019 Workforce Survey, the number of Level 3 qualified staff in the sector fell from 83 per cent in 2015/16 to just 53 per cent in 2018/19. As much as 81 per cent of employers are finding it harder to recruit Level 3 trained staff as a result. Higher salaries attracted 41 per cent of leavers away from childcare, with 48 per cent citing retail as their new destination.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included