A teenage would-be teaching assistant has added his voice to calls for more men to work in the early years sector.
Scott Davidson, from Blaenclydach, Rhondda, is currently undertaking a childcare course at Tonypandy College and encouraged others to consider following suit in a bid to address the low number of men entering the profession. The 19-year-old, right, said his passion for working with children stemmed from helping younger relatives with learning to read while he was growing up.
He said: “I understand that working in early years isn’t a typical man’s job, but I get so much out of it and I would urge other men to think about it too.
“There is so much job satisfaction in helping a child with their reading and then watching them read a whole page back to you. I’ve been around young children all my life and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
Jane Hutt, Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, said learners like Scott could receive help to study childcare through grants available through the Welsh Assembly Government’s Flying Start initiative.
Praising the teenager, she added: “Scott is enthusiastic and passionate about his job, and is keen to keep improving his skills, which can only mean that the children he works with will benefit in the long term.