Men working in early years

We recently interviewed Jordan Tully, an experienced early years professional around Men working in early years. 

Q. What inspired you to work in early years?

A. My journey into childcare was expected. My grandparents were early years providers themselves and had been for as long as I can remember. Naturally, everyone expected me to leave high school, get my qualification in childcare and then work for my grandparents' setting. However, instead, I wanted to figure out what kind of work I wanted to do for myself, and although I tried this, there wasn't anything I enjoyed as much as childcare.

Q. What is/were your favourite things about being an early years educator?

A. I love everything about the sector and what it means to be an early years practitioner; I believe once an early years practitioner, always an early years practitioner. I enjoy the quality interactions with the children, supporting their development and watching them grow. The children were always at the forefront of every decision I made when I started as a practitioner and that has never changed.

Q. Why do you think there is a lack of male representation in the early years workforce?

A. Although we have moved forward a lot, breaking down barriers with gender stereotypes, there is still work to be done. That's why I want to positively represent the sector and, hopefully, encourage more males to join the industry. Men only make up around 3% of the childcare workforce. I have worked with providers and apprenticeship programs to help them review their curriculums and recruitment plans to become appealing to a broader range of candidates. The best candidate should still get the position regardless of their gender. However, the positions should be advertised and filled in a way that encourages a more diverse pool of applicants, and this is sometimes where the issues stem from.

Q. Do men face any particular challenges or barriers when working in early years?

A. There is still some prejudice about men being in childcare environments and completing or assisting with care routines such as changing nappies. Some people still believe a female can do the job better, although we have moved forward leaps and bounds. There can be a lot of discrimination towards men working within the sector. However, it's our responsibility to educate the parents and carers in our settings about the benefits of their children being exposed to a wide range of individuals from different backgrounds.

Q. What benefits do you think male teachers bring to early years settings?

A. There are so many benefits brought by a more diverse and inclusive staffing team. Unfortunately, not all children get the same experiences before starting in a provision, and we are aware of our responsibility to ensure children are supported and exposed to as many opportunities as possible, no matter where they live, their family's financial circumstances, or their family situation. Different staff members can bring different experiences and opportunities for children.

Q. What are the benefits of having a mixed-gender early years workforce?

A. Children are brought up by a wide range of people with different ages, genders and relationships to the child. Having the opportunity to have mixed gendered settings allows children lots of opportunities to ask questions, hear various answers and be exposed to different things. A more diverse staffing team can help prepare children for a school environment as much more men work in schools as oposed to early years settings. When I worked in a particular setting, there was a child who had two mums and the child's parents specifically highlighted how grateful they were to see an equal number of males to females working there. They had previously worried about what the transition to school would be like for their child as they had not been exposed to many males in their life. Another time, a young boy stated he wanted to "be in a nursery just like you" when he grew up. His friend told him he couldn't stay there forever. He said, "Boys can work here, too!". He may never have felt that this was possible for him without the opportunity to have attended a setting with male educators. And that is why it is so important.

Q. What advice would you give to men interested in starting a career in early years?

A. Do it and don't look back. I promise that you will not be disappointed. Part of the reason I started my latest venture with the 'Exploring Early Years with Jordan Tully' podcast was to be able to speak to a wide range of different professionals from the sector. I wanted to hear their stories, progression, lessons learned and success stories to help inspire others. Do your research and ask more questions, but we will welcome you into the sector with open arms whenever you are ready. It will be challenging, but 'Together we can explore early years a little further'.

Jordan also specialises in...

• Training sessions and workshops

• Quality assurance visits

• Marketing and social media audits

• Leadership and management coaching

• Operational support

You can find out more by contacting him here.

These activities have been taken from Little Learners, a FREE magazine full of early years resources and activities. Click here to read our latest issue!