Graduates’ perspectives on their Early Childhood Studies programmes and employment opportunities

ABSTRACT

This study explores perceptions of recent graduates from UK institutions who have undertaken Early Childhood Studies (ECS) degrees, following on from a similar study nearly two decades ago. Although there are clear similarities, it is the differences which bring a new dimension and focus. Data were gathered from graduates at 11 UK institutions through an electronic questionnaire and a follow-up focus group interview. Analysis of the data demonstrated that the degrees were highly rated by the graduates but not always understood or known about by employers and careers advisors. Sufficient opportunity for spending supervised time in a relevant setting (practice) was regarded as an essential component of the degrees, but this was not always available. Considerable differences in employment opportunities for the graduates in the two studies were evident from the data, as the newer graduates found achieving employment in the sector was often a challenge, unlike the graduates in the earlier study. Despite not often gaining ‘graduate’ employment, almost all participants believed they had improved their employment prospects since completing their programmes.

Graduates’ motivations for their programme choice were similar in both studies. The relevance and influence of the programmes, including advocacy and political awareness, and the employment opportunities following their degree programmes, had changed.

KEYWORDS:

• Employment
• graduate
• policy
• status
• advocacy
• early years practice

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) was introduced in England in 2007. It was a professional status for practitioners leading practice with children between the ages of birth and 5 years. EYPS was intended to raise the quality of early years education. Those practitioners who held a level-six qualification were required to attend a short course and to collect evidence to demonstrate that their practice with children met the 39 standards required to achieve EYPS. No direct observation of the practitioner was undertaken by the assessor. Following a change of government in 2010, EYPS was reviewed and was replaced in 2013 by a new qualification, the Early Years Teacher, also at level six. Despite its title, the Early Years Teacher qualification does not confer Qualified Teacher Status, so those who have achieved it cannot teach in mainstream maintained primary schools.