Opinion

Editor's view - On course for a recruitment nightmare

After all the wrangling about the qualifications required to start
or finish the new Early Years Educator level 3 courses, we are starting
to see some alarming effects on recruitment to the sector.

Although the need for GCSEs at A-C grade in Maths and English is still in a state of flux, with various temporary exemptions in place, it is obvious that the number of students signing up for work-based EYE courses and apprenticeships has been hit hard.

And further, nursery employers are asking for job applicants to have the GCSEs even if they have an older qualification for which no such requirements were in place.

One recent traineee nursery assistant job ad also asked for the GCSEs, presumably as if the practitioner was to progress, they would be needed in the future, and the nursery didn't want the risk of having hired someone who wouldn't qualify.

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