Recruitment and Retention Workgroup
"States need to have information regarding position vacancies and the number of positions filled by individuals lacking full qualifications across systems, by discipline and by region. Information related to future, anticipated vacancies (e.g. aging workforce, increasing or decreasing population rates) can also be helpful. If vacancies are a problems, states need to examine existing recruitment and retention strategies, evaluate their effectiveness, and make decisions about the need for exploring and implementing additional strategies.
Quality Indicator 9: Comprehensive recruitment and retention strategies are based on multiple data sources and revised as necessary.
Quality Indicator 10: Comprehensive recruitment and retention strategies are being implemented across disciplines.
Scheduled Meeting Time: The Recruitment and Retention workgroup meets from 9:00am to 10:00am on the 4th Monday of the month.
Recent Highlights: The recruitment and retention workgroup developed a survey to address Quality Indicator 9 which states that comprehensive recruitment and retention strategies are based on multiple data sources.
Recent Highlights: The recruitment and retention workgroup developed a survey to address Quality Indicator 9 which states that comprehensive recruitment and retention strategies are based on multiple data sources.
The purpose of the survey was to learn more about the practices used to recruit and retain Minnesota’s early childhood workforce. The survey was distributed to early childhood professionals who may have worked in early childhood special education roles, either currently or in the past. The survey was open from January through May 2021: 467 individuals responded to the survey.
Respondents identified a variety of reasons behind their decision to leave the early childhood profession:
• Low compensation
• Lack of growth opportunities
• Retirement
• Lack of respect for the profession from others
• Lack of paid time off
• Health insurance or other benefits
• Financial debt
• Lack of professional supports in the job
• Family and my own children
• Went back to school
• Accepted a different position in education, outside of early childhood
• Never my career path
Focus groups were held with groups that were not represented in the respondents to the survey. With the help of a workgroup member from ChildTrends, the workgroup analyzed survey data as well as focus group data. As next steps, the workgroup has highlighted possible solutions to the barriers identified through the use of the survey to share with Minnesota’s early childhood systems. The Survey Results and Recommendations are available for review.
To provide input, get involved or get more information, please send comments, questions, and suggestions to cspd.mde@state.mn.us.
