Nursery World - Qualifications Two-tier market is emerging

The survey shows just how far we are from realising the dream of a graduate-led profession, with salaries and benefits to match, although numbers at degree level have increased over the past year. One in ten of our respondents has a teaching qualification, compared with 9 per cent last year, 4 per cent have early years degrees, the same proportion as last year, and 4 per cent have foundation degrees, compared with 2 per cent last year.

One in ten of our respondents has a teaching qualification, compared with 9 per cent last year, 4 per cent have early years degrees, the same proportion as last year, and 4 per cent have foundation degrees, compared with 2 per cent last year.

These practitioners with the higher qualifications seem mostly to be working at senior levels in Sure Start schemes and children's centres where they can command salaries commensurate with their qualifications, underlining concerns that the gap between the private and maintained sectors is widening.

Tricia Pritchard, professional officer with the Professional Association of Nursery Nurses, says, 'A two-tier job market in the childcare sector is something which was widely predicted. We hear from nursery managers that they just can't recruit and retain staff because they are leaving for much higher pay to work on Sure Start schemes and other similar Government initiatives.

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