A Study to explore what elements of Early Years management training should be prioritised to ensure the Early Learning and Care (ELC) workforce is professionally led.

Abstract

Today's Early Learning and Care (ELC) managers must be politically astute, conscious of, and involved in a multitude of contexts encircling beyond one's day-to-day work; they must also be accomplished in envisaging and facilitating change. ELC managers must operate on many different levels, carrying responsibility for children, parents and families, supporting the growth of EY practitioners, and facilitating inspectors and funders while integrating the expectations of legislators. Until now, they have had to navigate that role through on-the-job learning with no dedicated training. However, this issue is about to change due to the national drive guided by the Workforce Development Plan (WDP) towards developing a pedagogical management qualification for all ELC managers by 2028. This study aims to help that plan by exploring what elements of management training need to be prioritised so ELC managers can achieve professionalism in their roles. Through the use of a mixed method questionnaire, the research takes anonymised data from 304 ELC managers currently working in a diverse range of early years settings. It explores the current responsibilities of those managers, their existing training to date and the barriers they face. The research also invites them to input how they want future training presented.

The study findings expose the requirements for sector-specific training, which encompasses financial management, human resource management and regulatory compliance training to benefit leadership throughout the sector. Further recommendations are made to the Government to develop this training as part of their WDP, with consideration being given to the review of current Early Education and Care training programmes also. The establishment of a change management module is recommended, and suggestions for the programme to be implemented through mentoring is also proposed.

The study's conclusion emphasises the importance of addressing the complexity of the ELC manager's role to ensure the training is targeted correctly to promote sustainability and high quality in early education and care for the future