Staff turnover raises concerns in sector

The research, carried out by a team including Professor Peter Moss and Dr Claire Cameron for the Department for Education and Skills, found that nearly three-quarters of students (72 per cent) were still working either in childcare or a related field 15 months after completing their course. But 19 per cent had not worked in childcare at all since leaving college, while nine per cent had had at least one job in the sector but were currently not in childcare and six per cent had been unemployed since college.

The report said, 'The main reasons given by former students for not taking a childcare job were further study and low pay; for those who had left a childcare job, their main reasons were the end of a short-term contract or to care for their own children. The main reasons for former nursery workers leaving were dissatisfaction with management and pay.' But almost nine in ten (89 per cent) of the former students said they expected to be working in childcare in five years time, with more than half hoping to work in the public sector. Nearly half (49 per cent) are currently in private day nurseries, about 20 per cent in schools, 11 per cent in local authority day nurseries and eight per cent are working as nannies.