Blog

Men In Childcare

Jamie Collins is the Area Manager at I Learn Education Ltd. After initially being put off due to stereotypes and social stigma, he made the decision to join the Childcare Industry over 12 years ago and his passion for the role has empowered him to succeed.

We spoke to Jamie about his journey into childcare and his experience in the industry. Here’s what he had to say…

“I was always interested in childcare but I was put off from working in the industry due to the stigma around male workers. But after a period of time where I was not happy in my day job, I decided to make the change. I thought it would be better to go for it, put my own happiness first and not worry about pleasing everyone else. 10 years on and I’m so glad I did!

I am aware that people find it unusual for men to work in a childcare setting. Most parents love that a man is working in the setting but there’s always some people who are dubious of why I’d be working with children. That being said, people understand the benefits of having a positive male role model, particularly for children who maybe don’t have that in their personal life.

I am really passionate about this sector. I try to be an excellent role model and inspire my team. I love providing the best care and education to the children and families that use our setting.

Working for I Learn Education Ltd has really fuelled me to succeed. They have very strong values in ensuring equality for all and they actively encourage men to work for them. I never saw myself as someone that was leading the way in breaking stereotypes but since joining the I Learn team I’ve changed my view point. They’re key value is to dream big and be whoever you want to be, and this really empowered me.

GenderEYE survey…

GenderEYE have created a survey (for managers and practitioners/staff) to help them gain a better understanding of the early years workforce in terms of age, qualifications, training, challenges and support. The survey for practitioners will cover the above areas and ask about roles undertaken. The survey for managers will have specific questions on development and recruitment strategies for attracting men to early years education.

The surveys are completely anonymous. The practitioner survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes. For the managers, there will be two options. Participants may take a speedy 1-minute survey or a longer 5-10 minute survey. The questionnaires will be available until September 30th 2019 and the results will be published at the end of 2020 in early years magazines such as Nursery World and Under 5s, or in academic journals.

Take the survey: https://gendereye.org/survey/