Sector Skills Survey A summary of the headlines and sector views on solutions

Transcription

1 Sector Skills Survey A summary of the headlines and sector views on solutions

2 Level 3 qualification awards are slowly recovering, but remain 26% below 2012 figures. Qualification levels are heading back up: 76% of staff were qualified to level 3 or higher in 2018, up from 71% in Recruitment in the sector has slowed but remains higher than in the wider economy. 1 in 3 providers are recruiting for 14,300 vacancies, 77% say it s tough. Employers still point to a shortage of qualified staff as the main barrier to recruitment.

3 Qualification levels are rising but are courses preparing people for their future job roles? 55% of early years employers report skills gaps in their existing workforce, compared to 13% of employers across all sectors. 11% of all early years staff have skills gaps, compared with 4% of the wider UK workforce.

4 Top 10 internal skills gaps

5 Employers, staff and families are feeling the impact Employers say hard to fill vacancies are: Creating a more stressful working environment (56%) Increasing recruitment costs (51%) Increasing payroll costs (49%) Increasing use of agency staff (29%) Reducing extra support provided to families (21%) Keeping children on waiting lists (20%). Employers say internal skills gaps are: Increasing workload (55%) Making it harder to maintain quality standards (42%) Creating a more stressful working environment (39%) Leading to over-staffing to compensate for gaps (29%) Leading to fewer places for children with SEND (11%). Base: employers with hard to fill vacancies and skills gaps.

6 616.5 Million funding shortfall in 2018 Pay is uncompetitive and there is pressure on training budgets A funding deficit of million means the sector is in a weak position to compete in a tight labour market. Practitioner pay averaged 8.49 in spring 2018 compared to 9.41 in comparable roles. Nursery manager pay averaged compared to for comparable roles. 56% of employers say lack of funds is a barrier to workforce development.

7 Workforce challenges are making an impact An impact on employers operating costs from temporary staffing solutions, increased recruitment and training costs. An impact on quality of care due to unmet training needs, increased workload, lower staff-child ratios and disruption to key-worker relationships. An impact on availability of care and support to families, with children kept on waiting lists and extra support being withdrawn as a result of stretched resources. An impact on the well-being and income of staff, who trade their earning potential to work in a role which makes a vital difference to children s futures. Significant progress will require: Increased levels of public investment in early years provision. A training infrastructure which is genuinely employer-led. Universal change in the way society thinks about, and values, early years education and childcare.

8 Sector reaction Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance (formerly the Pre-school Learning Alliance) No one doubts the dedication and quality of childcare professionals - but who can blame them for leaving the sector for better pay, more opportunity and less pressure? "Ministers can t have it both ways. If caring for and educating our youngest children truly is a priority, then they simply must accept that recruiting, retaining and developing a workforce costs money and increase funding levels accordingly. It's one thing to talk about giving children the best start in life, but without adequate funding, early years providers will continue to struggle to support the quality workforce needed to do so. It's time that the government stopped merely talking about the importance of the early years and started investing in it."

9 Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of NDNA These findings echo our research with members. Early years providers are struggling as funding shortfalls undermine efforts to develop staff. The fact that over half of all employers have identified skills gaps in their staff and yet spending on training is predicted to fall 12.5% clearly shows the direct impact of underfunding on the workforce. These pressures have a knock-on effect on other staff in nurseries, through increased workloads, and ultimately on the children in their care. We know our members want to be able to better reward their staff but chronic underfunding is threatening businesses and making this impossible. More investment and support is clearly needed from the Government.

10 Liz Bayram, Chief Executive of PACEY PACEY members childminders, nursery and pre-school practitioners, nannies and students tell us they love working with young children but society doesn t value them. Their low incomes and a lack of status when compared with primary education colleagues - is appalling. Almost half of people working in childcare rely on in-work benefits to make ends meet. PACEY wants increased government funding; a strong career development pathway that supports anyone who wants to become an early years graduate and rewards settings for investing in development. This isn t just about recruiting new graduates; it supports experienced practitioners to progress further if they want. That not only benefits them but children and families too they ll enjoy high quality care delivered by qualified practitioners who stay in their profession.

11 Discussing the challenges Getting together to consider solutions - views and ideas shared at a sector Workforce Roundtable on January 31

12 We kicked off with some fresh thinking from Guy Browning, Sunday Times Cartoonist and business author Question the question Break down the challenge to small parts Keep it simple Shock everyone make it happen! Click here for some outrageous optimism

13 Next we were inspired by great speakers Julie Hyde, director at Cache shared the latest qualifications news and trends. Click to access Julie s presentation June O Sullivan MBE, chief executive at London Early Years Foundation called on the sector to own its purpose and pedagogy Click to access June s presentation Matt Robinson, client engagement director, Lifetime Learning highlighted how apprenticeships can support business objectives. Click to access Matt s presentation

14 Recruiting a diverse workforce Next came thoughts and ideas from roundtable discussions What does the early years sector do? What will I contribute? What will I gain? Identify and understand target audiences and communicate consistent messages Challenge the hair or care stereotype, build a shared story of what the sector does and the difference it makes. What unique benefits does the sector offer? It makes a difference to children s lives, provides childcare for your family, offers flexible working and diverse career paths. Millennials are looking for meaning in their work. Make it real don t sell Disney Start early develop awareness through work with schools, work placements, Duke of Edinburgh Award? Staff are the sector s main ambassadors. Raise staff s selfesteem to raise the profession s self-esteem. Men, women, young and older workers, workforce returners, school pupils, entrepreneurs, careers advisors..there are many people who can make a positive contribution. Identify individual audiences and understand their goals and motivations. Build messages based on this understanding and spread using the right communication channels for each audience. Work together to communicate consistent messages and create more impact. Parents, teachers, careers advisors and training providers are key influencers and important audiences too.

15 Recruiting a diverse workforce Thoughts and ideas Good ideas shared. Learn from your successes ask your shining stars what attracted them and what they value about working with you use this insight to target your recruitment tactics and messages. The early years career progression map is a positive development bring it to life with compelling stories. Monitor recruitment tactics so you can do more of what has been proven to work. Be pro-active in building relationships with schools and training providers add value to their curriculum, help keep their course materials relevant and rich. Mutually beneficial partnerships require effort but can have lasting impact. Create opportunities for staff to share their career stories with others inside and outside of your settings this can build self-esteem and promotes you as an employer too. People seek similarity and a sense of belonging. It can be easier to recruit male staff when you have male staff in your team. To get the ball rolling tap into or build networks externally to help create communities of interest, be they gender, faith or culturally based etc. Volunteer opportunities, stay and play, and community focused events are a very successful way of drawing people in, building confidence and creating awareness of employment opportunities.

16 Training, CPD and career progression Thoughts and ideas from roundtable discussions Build capacity and infrastructure Establish a professional body like the Royal College of Nursing to oversee standards and raise status. Train the trainer to support smaller organisations in cascading skills and knowledge. Smaller organisations need to pool resources what can be done to sustain and support local provider networks? Influence the quality of teaching on courses identify and rollout good practice in building relationships between local childcare providers, colleges and training providers. Police the marketing of EY courses. A clear statement on whether provision is full and relevant should be required. How can this be enforced? CPD: Continued professional development Promote a positive culture More focus is needed on building strong and inspirational leadership, so organisations own their purpose and pedagogy. Embed CPD as a long-term investment. Staff who feel valued and developed are more likely to stay. Applicants who can see a clear commitment to training are more likely to join. Don t fear exit to other sectors - highlight transferrable skills and opportunities. It is better to have a motivated employee for a few years than a de-motivated employee for decades! Celebrate success share stories of progression and achievement within your organisation and across the sector. Ensure your workforce development builds life skills, selfawareness and resilience, to provide a sound foundation for work and home-life. Embed health and well-being in your ethos and ways of working it can t be bolted on.

17 Download the full survey findings here: Get involved join our research panel: Tell us your views on what should happen next. Take a 1 minute survey here: Meet our research sponsors and partners