Education Policy Institute warns of childcare sector losing staff to the retail sector

[FSFRebecca]

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has released a worrying report identifying great uncertainty over recruitment and retention, with growing reports of workers switching to the retail sector, in order to secure more favourable working conditions. The report, 'The early years workforce: A comparison with retail workers', highlights a worrying trend of effectively decreasing wages in the childcare and education sector (due to rises in cost of living etc) and the increasing of wages in the retail sector. Coupled with the availability and range of the retail opportunities against the requirement for qualifications in the childcare sector workers the EPI predicts a bleak outlook for our sector.

Does the EPI report reflect our own experience? Have you had staff leaving for the retail sector?

 

[HoneyPancakes]

It's only the unsociable hours that stop me defecting to retail.   Sorely disgruntled that when level 4 jobs in Early Years are so thin on the ground (and where I live they are usually taken up by teachers on a career break)  I'm only likely to land a level 3 job.  The going rate here is £8.35 an hour.   Any 'male-dominated' level three job averages a much higher rate of pay.  And less responsibility.   The local Sainsbury's has a starting rate of over £9 an hour.    

[cella]

I have lost two (very experienced) staff to retail in recent times. As said above; more money, less intensity and far less responsibility. 

[YMCAMersthamPreschool]

In a previous setting I had staff leave for the retail sector.  Same if not more money and no responsibility.  Shame this is happening to the sector.  Without us many people would be unable to work, and we make a huge difference to the outcomes for children. Most staff don't do the role for the money, they do it for the children and it seems that this aspect gets exploited.