More than 7,000 Londoners have applied to retrain as childminders since the start of lockdown, as part of a scheme to revolutionise UK childcare.
There has been an “unprecedented” rise in the number of people applying to the childminding organisation Tiney, launched by the founder of Teach First, since the start of the pandemic.
They include people made redundant, those in the City looking for a better work-life balance and former teachers and nursery staff who want to run their own businesses.
Tiney was set up by father-of-three Brett Wigdortz when he realised how hard it was to find reliable, quality childcare in London.
It aims to revolutionise childminding by giving candidates intensive training, linking them to a support-network of other childminders and helping them to run their businesses.
It comes after Mr Wigdortz transformed teacher training by launching Teach First, which sends top graduates into inner city schools.
Now he aims to “rehabilitate” the role of the childminder, giving it equal status and pay to teaching.
He said: “We have seen an unprecedented increase in applications from Londoners since the pandemic.
“It’s brilliant to see so much talent embracing childminding and training to start their new roles as home nursery leaders. From my many years in the education sector, I cannot overstate the importance of early years education.”
The increase in applicants comes as the childcare sector is struggling to cope with the effects of the pandemic.
