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Following success in other sectors a specialist recruitment agency is now bringing childcare staff to the Channel Islands, with qualified early years and nursery sector staff from Kenya moving to Guernsey and Jersey to work as Level 3 Early Years Educators.
A business case was put forward by GR8 last year to align Jersey's work permit policies with Guernsey where suitably skilled early years practitioners were already able to be employed from overseas.
Now, GR8 has developed a programme to ensure their skills and experience meet the requirements for working in the sectors in both islands before they leave Kenya.
That includes Level 3 NCFE Cache Level 3 Diploma in Early Years along with safeguarding for employees.
Two have already flown in to the islands with a further seven skilled early years practitioners waiting for their visas so they can start work before April.
Lee Madden, Managing Director of GR8, said they also have a bank of suitably qualified staff ready to be offered roles to meet demand here.
“The sector has been facing difficulties recruiting and retaining the right staff for some time and we worked with businesses, educators and governments to create a solution that meets all the obligations whilst also providing year-round childcare. Through our partnerships in Kenya, we have access to hundreds of fully qualified and experienced early years practitioners who are ready to start, and we have set up a streamlined programme that makes sure that they have the necessary qualifications and are prepared for the cultural differences that they may face when coming to work here.”
GR8 worked with nurseries across the Channel Islands to ensure the staff are all suitably qualified with them holding equivalent qualifications to those from the College of Further Education.
Mr Madden said all the staff have the required experience and training to comply with the stringent recruitment processes that both islands follow, while meeting the increased demand for workers.
“Due to the cost-of-living crisis, more families have both parents working while children are young and that’s increasing the pressure on private sector and not-for-profit nurseries," he said.
"This is also an issue in the UK and the Isle of Man, and we are confident that by working with our contacts in the Kenyan Government, this solution can be adapted to meet their requirements too.”
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