Age concern

Declining numbers of young people mean that the over-forties will have to form a far greater part of the early years workforce, says Karen Faux Despite being out of the job market for 17 years, Alison Pavitt thought she might as well have a go at answering an ad in her local paper for a nursery assistant. 'I didn't hold out much hope that I'd get it,' she says. 'I hadn't been to an interview in years and my confidence was really low. I really felt I had blown the whole thing.'