A strong start in life lays the foundation for future success. Therefore, nurseries, pre-schools and childminders focus on providing a safe, fun and engaging environment for babies and children to learn, develop and grow in confidence. Are you a naturally caring individual, with patience, creativity and energy, who is interested in careers in Early Years? If so, read on.
A Day in the Life of an Early Years Worker
As an Early Years practitioner, you will have busy and active days. Therefore, you need to be full of energy and have a positive and compassionate attitude. Each child is unique, which means that you will need to think on your feet to find the right way to encourage them to try new things and discover their skills.
Throughout the day, the babies and children in your care depend on you for their basic needs. You could be playing games, changing nappies, persuading the children to try new foods, reading stories, providing reassurance and offering praise. This can be demanding and challenging, but also highly rewarding as you see the children gaining new skills and making their first friends.
Working in childcare also demands food and activity preparation and quite a bit of cleaning up! There’s also paperwork to complete, documenting notable points from the day for each child. So, there is never a dull moment.
In some settings, you may focus on one particular age group, such as working with babies or pre-schoolers. In others, you may have more of a mix.
Many parents need to drop their children off before work and collect after they’ve finished, which means early starts and late finishes. In nurseries and pre-schools that offer this wrap-around care, you might be offered a morning or afternoon shift.
Is There a Demand for Childcare Workers?
Around 347,000 people currently work in early years and childcare professions, yet there are still approximately 2,000 Early Years Job Vacancies in the UK. Therefore, nurseries and pre-schools are actively looking for people with the right attitude, experience and qualifications to join their team.
There are strict ratios for Early Years care. As a result, a shortage of staff limits the number of babies and children that a nursery or preschool can look after. They can’t provide spaces until they fill the post, which isn’t good for the provider, or for parents seeking childcare.
The ‘Do Something Big Campaign’ for Early Years
A shortage of Early Years workers has a knock-on effect on society. That’s because, if parents can’t find quality care provision in their local area, it’s less likely that they can return to work. This reduces employers’ ability to recruit talent, limits an individual’s options to apply their skills and impacts household budgets. In short, it’s not good for the economy.
Therefore, to encourage more people to consider starting or returning to a career in early years the Government has launched a ‘Do Something Big’ campaign.
This aims to:
- Provide more information about career options
- Promote opportunities for training and routes into this field of work
- Offer a new starter and returner bonus for early years workers in 20 local authorities with the greatest shortages. (These are primarily in North and Central England*)
So, if you are working towards a Childcare qualification or are considering careers in Early Years, you’ll likely be in demand.
What are the Routes into Childcare?
This is a demanding and skilled role, so the first step to boosting your chances of success is to enrol on one of the following childcare courses:
- CACHE Level 3 Childcare course
- T Level in Education & Early Years
- Level 3 Diploma in Early Years Education & Care
- Level 2 Certificate in Childcare
These are offered in schools and colleges across the country.
In the majority of cases, providers are looking for individuals with a recognised Childcare qualification. However, some vacancies are open to individuals with relevant experience and a willingness to undertake training.
You can gain experience through babysitting and volunteer positions, for example, working with children in school holiday programmes. Many childcare workers are also parents and that gives you a real insight into dealing with everyday dramas and delights!
Did you know that the UK Government offers free, online Child Development training? These modules** are great for refreshing your knowledge. Why not work through them to recap before an interview? This can be especially useful for returners to work.
Please be aware that all childcare workers also need to clear an Enhanced DBS check and must have a legal right to work in the UK.
How We Help to Match Early Years Settings & Candidates
Tara Recruitment Limited is a small, independent recruitment company that focuses on finding and equipping the right candidate for a job. We are dedicated to supporting Early Years Providers by understanding their requirements, recruitment challenges and aims. So, what are you looking for in an ideal candidate?
We currently have recently qualified childcare workers on our books. They are strong candidates and we are busy finding positions for them to fill. The majority live in Buckinghamshire, so, if you are a Nursery or Pre-school with a vacancy, register your business and vacancies with us. We’ll be in touch to discuss your requirements and find you a good match.
At the same time, we provide a person-centred service to help our candidates recognise and build their experience and skills. We ensure they are in the strongest position to best match the job specification of a vacancy. Our work can include helping people develop interview skills, update knowledge through online courses*, gain volunteer experience and sort out paperwork.
If you are newly qualified or a returner to work who would benefit from employment support, register with us and we’ll be in touch.
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