By Mark Smulian | 8 August 2013
More than 12,000 additional graduates are needed for work in nurseries and childcare, a think tank has said.
The Institute for Public Policy Research said in its report Early developments: bridging the gap between evidence and policy in early years development that England had only 15% of its early years workforceare qualified to degree level, against 60% in Denmark and 80% in New Zealand.
It said the Graduate Leaders Fund, scrapped in 2011, should be reinstated because it had successfully boosted the number of graduates working in nurseries and child-minding.
Employing more graduates qualified in early years education would be highly cost effective, the IPPR said. Where they are employed, staff/ child ratios could be relaxed and more children taken on.
If two graduates were introduced into a centre, for example, this could generate revenues of up to £88,880 a year.
Researcher Imogen Parker said: ‘Graduates significantly improve the quality of care and outcomes for children and so it is essential that we ensure they are well deployed in childcare settings.
‘It is vital that we not only encourage more graduate into early years care, but that we also ensure that they spend their time interacting directly with the youngest children who they can help to develop the most.’
