CGC Oakgrove Ebook 3.0

Childcare

Sector Outlook Working within childcare you may be directly involved in looking after young children or have a regulatory role that does not always involve direct contact. The majority of workers in the sector are female with the majority being qualified to level 2 or level 3. An increasing demand from working mothers as well as government investment has led to an increase in early years provision, education and play group settings. Other factors that have led to a greater need for childcare provision include the rising number of early years children and younger parents, as well as increased levels of child pover ty. Work oppor tunities can be found in full day care, child minding, crèches, sessional care, out of school and holiday play schemes, family centres, nursery classes and reception classes. You will improve your chances of gaining employment if you can prove to employers that you can develop a good relationship with adults and children alike, show resilience when dealing with demanding children, demonstrate good communication and listening skills, and show empathy. It will also help if you have good number and IT skills. Job oppor tunities are more plentiful in London and South East England with vacancies in other par ts of the UK being significantly lower. When looking for work don’t forget that a variety of organisations actively recruit childcare practitioners. In addition to nurseries and schools consider applying to the National Health Service or to holiday companies operating abroad. Recruitment websites such as Nursery World Jobs (www.nurserynursejobs. co.uk) feature many vacancies and feature key employers such as Bright Horizons, Treetop Nurseries, ClubMed, Thompsons, JEM Childcare Solutions, Nur ture Day Nurseries and many more. Whenever possible take the oppor tunity to work on a voluntary basis as a means of gaining relevant experience and to show that you have genuine interest in the welfare of children.