Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to revise the Government’s Early Years Workforce Strategy following the findings of the National Day Nurseries Association 2017-18 workforce survey.

Delivery of the commitments in the workforce strategy to support workforce recruitment and development is underway. The department has consulted on criteria for new, more robust, level 2 qualifications and is working with stakeholders to finalise these. Stakeholders are also working with the department to develop career pathways information to support careers advice, recruitment and staff development.

Early years providers are responsible for building and supporting their workforce, but the government is committed to continuing to work with the sector to review the challenges they face, and to collaborating to identify and implement solutions.

The department will consider the survey of childcare employers and employees conducted by the National Day Nurseries Association alongside other evidence, including nationally representative surveys of parents and providers.