A graduate workforce is far from an illusion in many of the European countries that are our neighbours. Many, including Sweden and Denmark, already have a mainly graduate workforce. In these countries working with children is indeed seen to need 'skills, love and enthusiasm', but it is recognised that these qualities should be offered at a graduate level and that this will also entail paying such workers an appropriate salary. There is no contradiction between having a degree and having vocational skills. We have graduate nurses, teachers and lawyers. Vocational skills can be part of a degree course. In this country we already have people with Early Childhood Studies degrees and many more who are achieving the new foundation degrees in early years.
A graduate workforce is far from an illusion in many of the European countries that are our neighbours. Many, including Sweden and Denmark, already have a mainly graduate workforce. In these countries working with children is indeed seen to need 'skills, love and enthusiasm', but it is recognised that these qualities should be offered at a graduate level and that this will also entail paying such workers an appropriate salary.
There is no contradiction between having a degree and having vocational skills. We have graduate nurses, teachers and lawyers. Vocational skills can be part of a degree course. In this country we already have people with Early Childhood Studies degrees and many more who are achieving the new foundation degrees in early years.
I recognise that we will not achieve a mainly graduate workforce until we make sure that such workers are properly paid and that this cannot come from parents' pockets. Again, other countries regard early childhood services as worthwhile for society and as something towards which the state should contribute. However, we should not be arguing that because early childhood workers in Britain are so badly paid, we should expect them to have low aspirations for training and education.
Our network is holding a conference, 'The early years workforce: A graduate future' on these issues at Regent's College, London, on 16 March (see p34).
For application forms, e-mail us at hrnoonan@brookes.ac.uk.
Pamela Calder
Chair and convenor, Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network
