The report, Awards in Early Education, Childcare and Playwork: A Qualification Framework for the Future, by Children in Scotland, found that childcare candidates were faced with a vast array of qualifications, none of which covered the full spectrum of skills required in the sector. After speaking to training providers, childcare providers, students and key stakeholders, the researchers found the current qualifications framework to be 'inflexible, fragmented in its construct and with in-built barriers to transfer of knowledge and skills across the sector'.
Integrated childcare is a key objective of the Scottish Executive, but the report said that current qualifications 'did not provide the highly mobile and broadly skilled workforce an integrated service will require'. It said, 'Training providers and stakeholders felt childcare providers had a very poor understanding of the qualification framework (and that) both stakeholders and training providers described a lack of faith among employers in the vocational qualifications.'
The report concluded that there was a 'clear need to re-evaluate early years, childcare and playwork qualifications'.
A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said, 'We are now examining the research findings to determine how best to secure the most appropriate qualifications for this sector.'
Carolyn Martin, an independent consultant and co-author of the report, said the qualifications framework created practical problems for those working in the sector. She said, 'A lot of work is part-time, particularly for out-of-school care. There is an expectation that you will have or work towards certain qualification, but then if you want to combine that work with a local play group in the morning or working as a classroom assistant, then there's another expectation of what qualifications are required.
'What it does is restrict people's choices. There are in-built barriers for people transferring between areas or combining several areas of work.'
Ms Martin would like to see an introduction qualification that allowed people to come into the sector with core skills that were recognised across the board, and then learn more specialised ones. But she said there were a number of barriers to achieving this. In particular, early years education had not formed a Sector Skills Council (SSC)- a joint Government-industry body responsible for developing workforce skills.
'There's a number of players in this, but responsibility for the development of the sector lies with the Sector Skills Council,' Ms Martin said.
Playworkers are represented by a SSC for the sport and leisure industry, while a decision is pending on having one for childcare. 'The fact that the Government is considering two is a problem in itself,' Ms Martin added.
She said delays in achieving a SSC could create real problems for the industry. 'I think the fear is that if no SSC, then the workers' status and perception of the sector will not be reversed and problems with recruitment and retention will not be resolved.'
Ms Martin also said there was a problem of an ongoing government agenda on childcare that could create differences between the expectations of the Care Commission and the Scottish Social Services Council and what qualifications teach childcare students.
