A comparative analysis of EY workforce policy in the four UK nations

This project will compare recent early years workforce policy in the four UK nations.

Why this project is important

The early years workforce in the UK is in crisis and highly fractured. Retention and recruitment across the UK early years workforce are major concerns, particularly regarding qualified staff. This jeopardises the quality of provision, limits capacity to provide current entitlements and plans to extend them, and weakens practitioner capacity to engage in continuing professional development. There is a tension between provision in terms of what is considered ‘care’ and ‘education’; and different challenges between provision in the maintained, private and voluntary sectors.

Multiple reviews and reports have highlighted the range of available levers which can improve early years workforce recruitment, retention, status, renumeration, and qualification levels. The research team aims to inform policy development across the UK by:

• Generating a UK-wide understanding of strengths and weaknesses of early years workforce policies.
• Informing policy makers about how known and entrenched early years workforce difficulties might be addressed with reference to successful approaches internationally.

What it will involve

The study will begin with a review of national, international, and grey literature. Interviews with key stakeholders in the UK and internationally in the early years sector will identify where policies have been successful and areas for improvement. The relative strengths and weaknesses of different policies will be analysed, which will form the basis of a map of future policy possibilities.

How it will make a difference

Key outputs will include a report on the strengths and weaknesses of each nation’s systems, compared with successful international examples, and a map of future early years workforce policy possibilities. Findings will be shared with policymakers and sector bodies to support discussions on the early years workforce’s role in effective early learning policies and raising children’s outcomes.