MP Steve Brine, chair of the APPG, held a meeting to discuss the challenges that currently face the sector’s workforce, both in response to Covid-19 and long-term funding issues that have impacted its employees.
Speakers included Josh Cottell, senior researcher at the Education Policy Institute, Mary-Ann Stephenson, director of the Women’s Budget Group, and Laura Barbour, early years lead from The Sutton Trust.
The meeting, which was also attended by early years membership organisations, highlighted the issues the sector faces in terms of pay, retention, recruitment and qualifications.
It addressed the challenges faced by owners and employers who want to be able to pay their staff a good wage and offer them opportunities to progress and upskill but are unable to, due to the ongoing funding crisis and market failure experienced by the early education sector.
Mr Cottell highlighted the pressures on early years, including higher costs due to Covid 19 measures, and reduced demand and retention issues due to lack of funding impacting negatively on prospective salaries in the sector.
Ms Stephenson, director of the Women’s Budget Group, which monitors the impact of Government policies on women, discussed the detrimental impact of Covid19 on the female workforce.
She made the point that childcare and early education is ‘as essential as roads or rail’, adding, ‘I wouldn’t be able to see my doctor if I didn’t have good childcare.’
Ms Barbour, early years lead from The Sutton Trust, talked about how the early years funding gap was widening pre-Covid, and how the pandemic has exacerbated this.
She also commented on the importance of retaining experienced and highly- qualified staff, which has been proven to positively impact the attainment of children as they progress to primary school.
‘As we move in to a hopefully post-Covid world we need to continue to focus on social mobility as the gap in educational outcomes for less advantaged children is widening and we need to focus on ensuring fair access and the development of a quality early years workforce,' she said.
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