To ask if you’d rather be a TA or nursery nurse and why?

[Annabeth67]

Posted this for my DD
She’s interested in both jobs but is unsure about which one she’d like to go for more. Anyone got any thoughts?

A nursery nurse qualification was an NNEB which no longer exists. You cannot qualify as a nurse nurse any more and haven't been able to for many many years.

You can do a L3 in early years which would qualify you to work with 0-5 or a TA qualification (5-11) or 5-18 is that what you mean?

Single status removed nurse nurse posts in schools. All TA posts are vulnerable due to funding-most are NMW posts.

Honestly I think both roles are really underpaid for what you have to give them.
If she was my dd I would be strongly encouraging her to get more professional qualifications and have more professional earning potential.
Not because both jobs don't have great societal worth, they both do. But pay and conditions of both are pretty bad.

I was a nursery nurse that worked side by side with school early years team. TA better pay better holidays. Harder job to get as they are limited some of our nursery nurses grabbed TA jobs when they became available. Scope to teacher train in the future. Nursery nurses I'd say are underplayed for their job roles. Longer hours more work load. From experience I would say grab TA job instead of a NN job. Both jobs are rewarding but in general a NN has it harder

I’m now an Early Years Education writer having been a Nursery Nurse and Nursery Manager. As a Nursery Nurse you can at least progress to Deputy Manager/Manager whereas for TAs there’s not really much progression.

If she was my dd I would be strongly encouraging her to get more professional qualifications and have more professional earning potential.

Definitely-

Thanks very much @nokidshere for your explanations! That’s so interesting and DD will definitely find that useful when I show her the thread. I didn’t know that those jobs were even options!

@Nightoutasap that’s very helpful thank you. What made you want to make the switch from teaching in school to running a nursery?

If she was my dd I would be strongly encouraging her to get more professional qualifications and have more professional earning potential
DD says she’s not interested in university if that’s what you mean! She just wants to get out there and wants to earn a wage and she’s willing to work her way up if necessary.

and she’s willing to work her way up if necessary.

That’s the point, I suppose. Neither of these are ‘professions’, so there’s not much scope to work your way up within them.

@fedup21 she’s a smart girl and she did well in her A-Levels (A and B grades). She doesn’t consider any job to be ‘beneath’ her so she’s not too concerned about low wages if it’s a job she enjoys

I was slightly hesitant to put my comment up because I don't think any job is beneath anyone, both nursery workers and TA do good, skilled work. But they are both very badly paid for what they put in. There are limited opportunities to naturally progress.
Getting the most professional qualifications you can at the start of your career means that you have the most options possible in the future.
Being a teacher or a social worker for example gives you more options, it is easier to down size your job than upsize it.
As a young person it can be hard to look into the future but being on a low income while trying to support your own family is harder than being on a middle income. Even as a single person being unable to buy a house, or have the same meals out as your friends is harder.
Ultimately it is her choice to make but thinking it through wouldn't do any harm.

I don’t consider any job beneath me either, but I do know far too many TAs who struggle financially and have to work weekends and evenings as well as their TA job to make ends meet. They are also being culled in massive widespread budget cuts so the role is not even remotely secure, sadly.

It’s good that working in a low paid job won’t be an issue for her though.