![Busy Bees is in the process of hiring 700 apprentices.](/media/0gcfixra/264courtney-turner-with-nursey-manager-emma-spindley.jpg?width=1002&height=668&bgcolor=White&v=1da613360539e10)
Early years practitioners are well aware of the sector’s recruitment and retention challenges. Wages remain low and higher-qualified applicants are becoming rarer. Some early years experts warn that forthcoming changes to qualifications will worsen the situation, but others say there is light at the end of a dark tunnel. Could apprenticeships, childminder agencies and improved recruitment strategies help boost workforce numbers?
According to the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) 2019 Workforce Survey, the number of Level 3 qualified staff in the sector fell from 83 per cent in 2015/16 to just 53 per cent in 2018/19. As much as 81 per cent of employers are finding it harder to recruit Level 3 trained staff as a result. Higher salaries attracted 41 per cent of leavers away from childcare, with 48 per cent citing retail as their new destination.
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