Will non-qualified practitioners be paid better than qualified childcare practitioners?
With the National Living wage due to increase next month, will this cause childcare providers problems with their pay scale? Will over 25’s be paid more than qualified practitioners? If this continues will childcare qualifications matter?
Having a qualified workforce is highly important, and this is one contributing factor of what makes an outstanding setting. However, with the government looking more at age rather than qualifications will this cause the qualified practitioners to leave the early years sector?. Surely the answer is to invest in qualified practitioners to help settings offer high qualify care and to reduce children’s attainment gaps.
How will providers be able to afford to increase salaries for qualified practitioners when already they are being hit with an increase in the national living wage and the lack of funding for the free childcare places schemes.
Many providers strive on having qualified teachers within their settings. However, it will come to the point where nurseries cannot afford to employ these.
Recently with the GCSE requirements, many childcare providers hit a recuitment crisis, however, with a U-Turn on the decision, it is hoped providers will see a difference in being able to recruit qualified employees. Another option is taking on a apprenticeship who will complete a qualification while learning hands-on experience, many settings have found this option more beneifical.
With the national living wage due to increasing further over the next coming years where will this leave the early years sector as many employers can not afford to keep raising employees salaries?
Will the rise in the national living wage cause a problem for you?
We strive to have a high ratio of very well qualified staff. It is a massive concern. My Nurseries are in an area of high deprivation so it would not be possible to hike up prices.
I am so worried about this. Some of my hardest working staff are my youngest and I absolutely wish I had the budget to pay them more!
The wage increase could shut us down we are a small village setting who survive hand to mouth, with more parents working they have very little interest in fundraising so we rely more and more on funding and we all know how that’s going