Rosemary Murphy OBE, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association:
'Last summer the National Day Nurseries Association conducted a pilot analysis of training needs of nursery staff and management in the North-east of England. Next year we are hoping to extend this research to give a picture of needs across England and Wales.
'At present the quality, level and geographical spread of training for nursery staff and management is patchy. It is quite difficult to get any accredited training beyond NVQ Level 3, and the availability of Level 4 and advance practitioner qualifications needs to be extended. Nursery staff are also keen to have a clear framework of qualifications within which to develop their career.
'We believe good business and management skills are the foundation for quality daycare. Without sound management, nurseries will be unable to deliver quality of care. Alongside this, the recruitment and retention of nursery staff is proving to be a growing issue.
'Nurseries with skilled managers who motivate their staff are the ones that will succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace for nursery workers. Our expertise is in nursery management and our training programme will concentrate on this area in the coming year.'
