Nursery World - Editor's View – We need more graduates

The sector and families would benefit from more practitioners educated to degree level, but this requires Government action

Karen Faux

As the sector struggles to attract and retain graduates, it is becoming increasingly clear that an important aspiration has been lost.

Not so long ago, graduate leadership seemed to be making some headway. Many of you will remember the Graduate Leader Fund which ran from 2007-2011. With ring-fenced funding of £305m, this period saw the number of workers holding a degree or a foundation degree rise by 76 per cent – from 16,500 workers to 29,100 (according to the Education Policy Institute).

In line with the fund’s aims, the rise in degree-qualified workers was mainly in the PVI sector.

Right now, analysis of the latest Government data by charity Nesta finds that just 9 per cent (or 21,500) of the early years workforce holds graduate status (news, 20 September). And only 37 per cent of PVI settings are currently staffed by at least one graduate. What is particularly concerning is the marked regional disparity when it comes to graduates working in PVI nurseries.

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