The benefits of having graduates working in the early years are easy to identify and for us all to agree on. Graduates bring a high-quality of language that can be used with the children, the latest effective practice, and knowledge and ideas about how to motivate and challenge both children and staff.
However, retaining these graduates is challenging because the sector has historically experienced low rates of pay, and this is even more of an issue in the context of rising graduate debt.
Graduates will be paid on average £7.50 an hour to work in childcare, which equates to approximately £14,000 a year within a context of limited possibilities for career progression. But in other sectors of education, such as teaching, graduates can expect to earn starting salaries of £25,000 - £30,000.
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