Newspaper reports suggested that the Department for Education and Skillswas considering using the fund to subsidise graduate employees innurseries and pre-schools. Private and voluntary providers could receiveup to 10,000 a year for every graduate they recruit.
"There is no question of a crisis in childcare or of us simply bailingout private nurseries," insisted a Department for Education and Skillsspokesman.
And Steve Alexander, chief executive of the Pre-School LearningAlliance, welcomed the idea of subsidisation. "Until now, the Governmentline has been that the wages in the non-maintained childcare sector havebeen a matter strictly between employer and employee. The deliberateintroduction of graduates and the subsidising of their wages sets awelcome precedent for future workforce investment."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
