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The current climate, with uncertainty for jobs and the economy, might not seem the time to be thinking about recruiting overseas. But with 45 per cent of all settings having a current vacancy, according to Ceeda, the sector can’t wait for Brexit deals to be finalised. The UK’s shrinking pool of qualified candidates is leading some to turn abroad – specifically to Spain.
Both Bright Horizons (see Case study) and The Co-operative Childcare have targeted Spanish early years practitioners, as the country has both a large pool of qualified candidates and high unemployment.
‘There are so many highly qualified people really wanting to work with children but they can’t get a job,’ says Cheryl McCarthy, resourcing manager, childcare at The Co-operative Childcare.
Now might be the time to turn your sights to Europe while you still can (see box). But what do settings need to think about?
1. Local knowledge
It is advisable to work with a third-party provider with experience in the country you are targeting. These organisations can advertise your roles on social media sites and in universities/ local recruitment fairs, as well as providing a shortlist of candidates that meet the right criteria (such as levels of English speaking).
2. Set your criteria
‘Our Spanish recruits must have applied for QTS before coming over,’ says Ms McCarthy. If a European Economic Area member state (EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) recognises a practitioner as a qualified school teacher, they can apply for QTS in England. Swiss nationals can also apply for QTS. The Co-op looks especially for candidates holding a Portada del grado en Educación Infantil(a degree in early childhood education). ‘We found those in the first cohort were more experienced with children over five, and they struggled with our care element, things like changing nappies,’ explains Ms McCarthy.
3. Interview remotely
Initial interviews can be carried out over Skype to save time. ‘Previously we were going over to do all the interviews, which meant some candidates had to fly from Tenerife, others from the north of Spain, which is hard for them if they then do not get the job,’ says Ms McCarthy.
4. Then meet face-to-face
Once candidates have been chosen it’s important to meet them face-to-face. ‘You need to check they have the right documentation,’ says Ms McCarthy. Early years providers should seek additional criminal record checks on anyone who has lived and worked abroad (see gov.uk).
5. Think about fees
NARIC is a national agency for the recognition and comparison of international qualifications and skills. Candidates have to pay for a translator to translate certificates and syllabus, plus NARIC fees per qualification. ‘The fees are so high that many candidates can only afford for part of their qualification to be compared,’ says one recruitment professional. ‘This results in them being considered as having a Level 2 equivalent qualification, instead of the degree level or higher obtained in their home country.’
In general, pay and conditions for overseas workers should be the same as those for UK employees doing the same job, but they will need some extra support at first. This might include help with travel costs, locating accommodation and practical tasks such as obtaining a driving licence. A new overseas worker should follow the same induction programme as any other employee, but it will probably be necessary to supplement this with additional orientation sessions offering a basic understanding not only of the way early years is approached in the UK, but also of UK society in general.
Nursery groups recruiting abroad should think about where they place their recruits. ‘I want our colleagues to reflect our community,’ says Ms McCarthy. ‘It is not just about filling vacancies with anybody. So our Bristol nursery, for example, has Spanish-speaking children, and it helps having Spanish staff who can talk to parents who have English as an additional language.’
UNCERTAINTY
While there are only a small number of nurseries actively recruiting overseas, many more employ non-UK nationals. It seems at present that Brexit will not impact non-UK nationals already living and working in the country (see box), but some nurseries are finding that their overseas-born employees have concerns about their future.
‘We are employing fewer staff of different nationalities than we used to,’ says Tara Cripps, recruitment manager at Cavendish Lodge nursery. ‘We employ one Eastern European, for example, and it used to be five, a couple have gone home. It is hard to say whether Brexit is causing this though.’
Case study: Bright Horizons
Bright Horizons has recruited Spanish early years practitioners since 2016. The UK’s second-largest nursery group works in partnership with a company (it won’t say who) with ‘significant international recruitment experience’ to carry out the initial stages of attracting and screening candidates. ‘They support us with the front end of the process,’ says Karen Harbisher, head of HR and recruitment. ‘They do initial advertising and screening, such as assessing English-language abilities, then we send a team to Spain to do the competency assessment, making sure the candidates have the right qualifications.’
Specifying the city or area at the advertising stage is key. ‘If you can state broadly the location to the potential candidate rather than saying UK, that is helpful to them,’ says Ms Harbisher. Stressing the idea of a career rather than a specific job also bears fruit at this stage. ‘We talk to candidates about the learning and development opportunities they will have access to, such as our Room Leader and Aspiring Nursery Manager programmes, all of which help us to build our talent pipeline,’ she adds. The drive is focusing on recruiting Level 3 practitioners. ‘We attract people of varying age groups with a range of experience and qualifications; we are just looking for people who want to move to the UK and be part of the sector,’ says Ms Harbisher. ‘We use a third-party provider who completes our DBS checks and our overseas criminal checks. All candidates coming to work for Bright Horizons must have both of these in place before starting work.’
Bright Horizons offers practical and emotional support for relocating staff, including help with travel costs and supporting employees to find accommodation. Learning from the first cohort has helped the organisation fine-tune this support. ‘We have made sure the pastoral care is really tight,’ says Ms Harbisher. ‘It is easier now with social media being so prevalent, they are creating their own community between themselves even when they are still in Spain.’ Relocating staff go through an off-site induction process, introducing them to policies and procedures.
While there are more expenses related to overseas recruitment, Bright Horizons feels the results justify the spend. ‘There’s a diminishing market of qualified practitioners in the UK,’ says Ms Harbisher. ‘Some of the first cohort didn’t settle and went back to Spain, and one or two moved into schools, but the retention rate is as good if not better than UK practitioners. The quality of the candidates is just amazing, they are extremely passionate and very well-educated, all at degree level.’
What about Brexit?
EU nationals currently have full freedom to work in the UK, while non-EU nationals need appropriate immigration visas. After Brexit, the Government has said EU nationals already working here will be able to apply for settled status if they have been in the country for more than five years, and pre-settled if less than five years, as long as they started living in the UK by 31 December 2020. Those with pre-settled status can stay in the country for a further five years and will then have settled status.
In practice this means any staff who are currently EU nationals can continue to live and work in the UK, as can any who are recruited before 31 December 2020, as long as they register for settled or pre-settled status by July 2021.
When it comes to recruitment after 2020, the picture is less clear. The Tier 2 visa is the main route for skilled employees from non-EEA countries. If this was widened to include jobs at Level 3 skill levels, as has been recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee, this would make it easier for nurseries to recruit outside the EEA, but the attached minimum salary requirement of £30,000 would limit recruitment both within and outside the EEA.
An alternative is the youth mobility scheme, which allows young people up to the age of 28 to spend two years working in any job. If this is expanded to EU countries it may provide a source of early years workers. ‘It might be that individuals gain the opportunity to be at a more senior level, so might command the salary of more than £30,000,’ says Audrey Elliott, partner at law firm Eversheds Sutherland. ‘As things stand, they would have to go home and apply to come back under Tier 2.’
Potential international recruits could also work on a family-related visa: so someone with a husband or wife earning more than £30,000 would be able to work in a position that paid less than £30,000.
