Written Question · S6W-37862 · Session 6
How its early learning and childcare workforce strategy aligns with the expansion of funded hours of childcare, and whether staffing levels…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government how its early learning and childcare workforce strategy aligns with the expansion of funded hours of childcare, and whether staffing levels are projected to meet demand over the next five years.
The answer
“Best Start, the strategic early learning and school age childcare plan 2022 to 2026” outlines four key priorities that will move us closer to achieving our vision that, through access to rich and nurturing early learning and school age childcare experiences, children, families, and their communities are enabled to reach their full potential and the poverty-related outcomes gap narrows.Priority 3 is “Ensuring that the delivery of our priorities is supported by a sustainable, diverse and thriving sector and profession”. We recognise that we cannot deliver positive outcomes for children and families without a sustainable, diverse and thriving childcare sector. For that reason, we have taken forward actions including:making Fair Work central to the 1140 expansion to date
- our investment to support sustainable rates and the ELC real Living Wage has already led to increases in pay across private and third sector providers;developing a range of new resources and learning signposting tools for the childcare workforce, including a new continuous professional learning portal and a new National Induction Resource;working with local government and our partners in the sector to develop long-term workforce plans that address workforce issues and ensure sustainable delivery of the 1140 funded entitlement;allocating over £8 million in 2024-25 to Skills Development Scotland to deliver Modern Apprenticeships in childcare;providing funding for 100 childcare professionals to study for Masters qualifications each year at the University of Strathclyde and the University of Aberdeen; andinvesting in the Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future, launched in June 2024 and backed by more than £1.6 million in 2025-26.The Skills Development Scotland Sectoral Skills Assessment Childcare Report 2024 contains both a mid-term (2024-2027) and long term (2024 – 2034) future demand forecast for the childcare sector. In both forecasts, employment growth in the childcare sector is predicted to continue and with a larger percentage growth than is forecast overall across Scotland. However, the forecasts also suggest that recruitment will remain challenging in the sector.
- our investment to support sustainable rates and the ELC real Living Wage has already led to increases in pay across private and third sector providers;developing a range of new resources and learning signposting tools for the childcare workforce, including a new continuous professional learning portal and a new National Induction Resource;working with local government and our partners in the sector to develop long-term workforce plans that address workforce issues and ensure sustainable delivery of the 1140 funded entitlement;allocating over £8 million in 2024-25 to Skills Development Scotland to deliver Modern Apprenticeships in childcare;providing funding for 100 childcare professionals to study for Masters qualifications each year at the University of Strathclyde and the University of Aberdeen; andinvesting in the Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future, launched in June 2024 and backed by more than £1.6 million in 2025-26.The Skills Development Scotland Sectoral Skills Assessment Childcare Report 2024 contains both a mid-term (2024-2027) and long term (2024 – 2034) future demand forecast for the childcare sector. In both forecasts, employment growth in the childcare sector is predicted to continue and with a larger percentage growth than is forecast overall across Scotland. However, the forecasts also suggest that recruitment will remain challenging in the sector.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S6W-37862 by reference.