Good Practice for Good Jobs in Early Childhood Education and Care

Executive summary

OECD countries face a persistent challenge in recruiting and retaining highly skilled Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) staff. Mindful of quality issues and the benefits that come with well-trained staff, OECD countries are increasingly demanding ECEC staff undertake extensive pre-service training and attain high-level qualifications before entering the sector. Many OECD countries have raised or revised minimum qualification requirements in recent decades. Several (e.g. France, Iceland and Italy) even require pre-primary teachers to hold master’s level qualifications. In-service training and professional development activities for ECEC workers are also receiving increased attention.

At the same time, however, many countries are struggling to attract and keep skilled staff in the ECEC sector. Low wages, a lack of status and public recognition, poor working conditions, and limited opportunities for professional development all mean that careers in ECEC are too often seen as unattractive. Staff recruitment is frequently difficult, and retention just as much of a challenge. Especially when coupled with an ageing workforce and general growth in demand for ECEC, these recruitment issues mean that many OECD countries are facing substantial shortages of skilled ECEC staff.

What can countries do to build a highly qualified and well-trained ECEC workforce? What is the best route to increasing staff skills without exacerbating staff shortages? How can countries boost pay and working conditions in the context of limited resources? There is no single silver bullet for constructing a high-quality workforce. However, building on existing OECD work on ECEC (e.g. the OECD Starting Strong series, the OECD Babies and Bosses series, and previous OECD Early Childhood Education and Care Policy Reviews) and drawing on the experience of countries across the OECD, this report recommends that countries consider the following policy options.

Attracting and recruiting highly-skilled staff

• Countries must engage in efforts to improve the status and attractiveness of ECEC as a career. Options for doing so include increasing qualification requirements for staff in at least some roles, running information campaigns, and improving wages. Where constrained by limited resources, countries may want to consider targeting wage increases at staff with particular characteristics and/or using wage increases to help achieve other strategic objectives, such as improving staff qualification levels.

• Countries looking to build a high-quality workforce also need to engage in efforts to boost staff qualifications. Raising minimum qualification requirements is one option, but does have downsides. To avoid short-term bottlenecks in the supply of qualified new entrants, countries may want to consider staggering the introduction of new minimum requirements or targeting requirement increases at staff in certain roles (e.g. centre leaders).

• Pre-service education and training systems should be accessible. Countries should ensure alternative entry pathways are in place for talented potential workers unwilling or unable to undergo lengthy pre-service training. This includes, for instance, entry routes for university graduates with degrees in unrelated fields and older workers with relevant professional experience from outside of ECEC (e.g. nurses, care workers). Countries may also want to consider providing students with financial support during pre-service training in ECEC.

• Practice as well as theory is important in pre-service training. Different countries place different emphasis on the role of practical experience in pre-service training. Countries without extensive practical placement schemes should consider expanding the role of practical experience and workplace-based learning in their pre-service training programmes.

• To promote quality and improve the supply of potential workers, countries should engage in stronger efforts to bring men into ECEC. Measures to improve the status of ECEC in general will help, but countries should also consider engaging in information and recruitment campaigns. Norway has found some success in using affirmative action in the hiring process, though such policies should serve only as a temporary measure in the transition to a more gender-balanced workforce.

Retaining and developing highly-skilled staff

• Strategies to keep skilled staff inside the ECEC sector are just as important for a high-quality workforce as measures to recruit new staff. Low pay is one factor often cited by workers considering leaving the sector, and efforts to boost wages in general are likely to help improve staff retention. In addition, however, countries should consider revising wage structures and/or engaging in measures that reward performance and development through improved pay.

• Countries should also engage in strategies to enhance working conditions. Improving regulatory standards, including by reducing minimum child-to-staff ratios, is one option open to countries, even though such a move is likely to place an additional burden on public budgets. Smaller class sizes are important for service quality and can help improve worker retention by, for instance, reducing stress among staff.

• Countries should also consider engaging in activities to promote in-service training and professional development opportunities. This is vital for quality, and may help boost sector-wide retention by, for example, enhancing professional identity and improving career satisfaction. Importantly, just providing the option of training is not enough; countries should also use strategies to promote and encourage staff participation. Mandating in-service training is one option; introducing measures that incentivise training (e.g. through wage boosts) is another.