Stereotyped image linked to low pay in childcare sector
The stereotyped image of childcare workers as female and vocational-minded rather than academic is to blame for low pay in the sector, says the Daycare Trust.
Speaking at the launch of the Daycare Trust's latest policy paper, joint chief executive Alison Garnham said, 'There is no coincidence that the bulk of people working in early years are women. Would they be quite so poorly paid if the bulk of the workforce was men?'
Delegates to the Trust's seminar in London on Tuesday (11 November) discussed whether childcare workers were doing a disservice to themselves, giving high- quality care on low pay, with no incentive for wages to be increased.
June O'Sullivan, chief executive of Westminster Children's Society, suggested that early years workers be more creative and imaginative in their approach. She acknowledged that many parents would be unable to pay higher nursery fees and pointed to New Zealand's tax supply subsidiary as a possible solution.
Some delegates expressed concerns that older and more experienced workers could be disadvantaged as a growing number of young people trained to be Early Years Professionals with greater pay and status. Ms O'Sullivan said, 'Routes to accessing work in the sector must be kept flexible to accommodate all potential workers.'
The policy paper, Raising the bar: what next for the early childhood education and care workforce?, is available at www.daycaretrust.org.uk/mod/fileman/files/Raising_the_bar_Nov08.pdf.
