National Pyjama Day 2023

How to recruit, train and motivate well-qualified staff

How to recruit, train and motivate well-qualified staff

On 3 March 2021, the European Commission launched a new report that investigates professionalisation in the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector. The report is a product of the work of an expert group that was set up to offer a forum for the exchange of experience and best practice. Over a two-year period (2018-2020), the working group discussed how to advance high quality ECEC with a special focus on inclusion and staff development. This working group included national experts from 35 countries and representatives from eight European organisations with expertise in ECEC and three European or international organisations.

The report discusses a range of topics, including who works in the ECEC sector, how to make the professions more attractive, and staff training.

A set of core competences for ECEC assistants, core practitioners and ECEC leaders is proposed. Other proposals include:

  • Increasing the minimum qualification requirements for ECEC staff.
  • Ensuring salaries and working conditions are the same as those offered to staff with tertiary level qualifications in similar sectors.
  • Ensuring there is a high-quality induction phase to support new staff – with mentoring, team support and respect for the health and safety of ECEC staff to avoid burn-out.
  • Ensuring that ECEC policies are discussed through a framework of social dialogue and ECEC settings consult with members of staff when making significant decisions.
  • Having national, regional and local awards for the most successful or innovative practice.
  • Establishing a career pathway which enables core practitioners to take roles with more responsibility.
  • Diversifying the workforce to include more men and members of ethnic minority groups.
  • Providing “child-free” time during which staff do equally important tasks that foster quality in the setting.
  • To achieve high quality, a number of strategies need to be in place, which include removing obstacles to staff participation in CPD, increasing the range of learning opportunities and recognise the value of work-based learning, team-based learning, coaching and peer support.

 

The report is very extensive and detailed, and here we are only providing a snapshot of some of its content. Although its primary audience are those with system-level responsibility for the ECEC sector, throughout the report country examples are frequently given. These examples of effective practice are likely to be of interest to Early Childhood Ireland members.

 

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