The Government's vision of a childcare workforce where all staff hold a minimum of a Level 3 qualification is being helped by the recession. The economic crisis has had a spin-off effect of raising the calibre of recruits coming into the sector, whether as school-leavers or workers who have been made redundant and are looking to retrain.
Colleges are reporting an increase both in the numbers and academic qualifications of the Level 3 intake this autumn across subject areas (see box). 'There has been a greater interest in vocational qualifications at the college across the board,' says a spokeswoman for Nescot, Epsom's further and higher education college. 'That is partly because there has generally been more positive publicity for vocational qualifications and some negative publicity about academic pathways in terms of delivering value for money in regard to future careers.'
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