Nursery World - Male childcarers made welcome

British society is becoming more accepting of men working as childcarers, according to Tracey Storey, head of personnel and training at Leapfrog Day Nurseries. She said, 'Traditional roles are breaking down. For years we have seen women entering what were thought of as male-dominated industries, and now this trend is happening in reverse.'

She said, 'Traditional roles are breaking down. For years we have seen women entering what were thought of as male-dominated industries, and now this trend is happening in reverse.'

One example is Andrew Holdnall, 17, Leapfrog's youngest male nursery assistant, who works in the toddler room at the chain's Edgbaston nursery in Birmingham. He is about to start studying for an NVQ 3 in early years education and childcare to qualify as a nursery nurse.

Mr Holdnall, who initially worked as a labourer after leaving school, gained his first childcare experiences from looking after his nieces and nephews. He said, 'I love being with children. It's so satisfying watching them learn and grow and knowing that you've played a part in that. I did get some ribbing from my friends when I told them what I was doing, but they soon got used to it and now everyone thinks it's great.'

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