Men Can Care, based in Paisley, began recruiting in January. Since then, 34 men have completed the 39-week programme and gained a level 3 Scottish Progression Award in working with children and young people, and 25 of them have now moved on to an upskilling programme to take either an HNC in social care or the SVQ level 3 in working with children and young people.
Men Can Care is a full-time training and work experience programme offering men a recognised qualification in child and youth care. Students receive tuition for two days a week and spend the remaining three days in a work placement, for which they receive a fixed salary. The project also covers childcare costs and helps out with travel expenses.
Men Can Care's project manager Neil McMillan said, 'The project has had some excellent outcomes - 90 per cent of the men have now gone on to work with children or take further training. One of the men has applied to work with children with autism, and another has gone into the care sector to work on mental health programmes.'
'Men don't enter childcare for a number of reasons - not only is it seen as "women's work", but there is also a stigma attached. We need to show that men should be doing this work and get men themselves to look at all the positive things they can give to children. Men are important in providing role models for masculinity, especially in a compensatory way if children do not have fathers around at home.'
'By getting men into childcare we will promote greater gender equality. It is about changing men's perspectives and giving them a more positive view of the types of activities that women are primarily engaged in.'
The Men Can Care project held a major national conference in Renfrew last month to promote the success of the programme and to raise awareness of the gender imbalance in work with children. The conference, held in association with Children in Scotland, focused on the recruitment process and the need to develop a special curriculum to engage men in childcare.
Men Can Care is run by Kibble Education and Care Centre, one of Scotland's oldest charities working with young children at risk. For more information see www.mencancare.org or www.kibble.org.
