According to MITEY (Men in the Early Years) the proportion of male staff in early year’s education is only 3%. At Tops, we have been continuously working hard to increase this number by promoting the importance of men working in the early years throughout our nurseries and when recruiting for new staff.
Tops believe that a more gender-balanced workforce provides children with the widest range of experiences, skills and teaching styles that will benefit their learning and development. Furthermore, we are proud to support the MITEY Campaign, which aims to celebrate, support and increase the numbers of, men working in early childhood education in the UK. We have signed the MITEY Charter, which is a pledge for nurseries, pre-schools and other early years setting across the UK to show support in valuing men’s potential to contribute positively to the care and education of young children.
We also promote the importance of men in the early years by publishing Q+A’s with our male employees on our website. This allows them to speak up on the matter and tries to encourage other males to join the industry.
Furthermore, we have set up a MITEY group where our employees discuss ways in which they can increase the number of male staff across Tops and to offer support and advice for those that currently work in the nurseries.
Simon Evans, Senior Nursery Manger at Tops Winchester says “As a male nursery manager, it is so great to work for Tops Day Nurseries, who are so passionate about promoting and recruiting more men to work in early years. Working hard to go above the national average shows just how dedicated the nursery chain is, in supporting men in the work force”.
It is clear that there is still a long way to go in changing the gender balance of those working in the early years but by spreading more awareness about the importance of men working in the childcare industry hopefully, the balance will start to change.
Tops Day Nurseries, are one of the most sustainable day nurseries in the UK with over 30 nurseries across the South and South West. Tops Day Nurseries offers early education and care for children aged 3 months to school age, as well as before, after-school and holiday clubs for children up to 11.
Interested in joining the Tops family? View our vacancies here.
