There is no doubt that the early years sector faces a recruitment and retention issue. There has been a 94 per cent growth in the sector since 1997, increasing competition for staff in an already squeezed sector. In the last year 59 per cent of nurseries had trouble recruiting.
This is about to get worse. To meet the Government's expansion plans an extra 300,000 childcare staff are required over the next few years, of which 50 per cent must have NVQ Level 3, or equivalent.
High-quality staff are essential to cope with the increasingly complex work, including networking across sectors, while providing care and education in an inclusive environment.
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