Recruitment challenges and support for well-being and learning in early childhood education and care

A shortage of qualified, stable early childhood education and care (ECEC) personnel undermines effective service delivery and increases turnover, perpetuating negative cycles of segregation. Research has shown that recruiting ECEC educators is challenging in Finland. However, the development of recruitment difficulties and their influence on daily practices has yet to be examined. We conducted a ratio analysis of the Finnish Job Vacancies Survey to examine ECEC teacher recruitment challenges from 2017 to 2024 and utilised interviews to explore how these challenges manifest in supporting children’s well-being and learning. Recruitment difficulties increased during the study period. However, recruitment problems peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021, after which they returned to near pre-pandemic levels. The Helsinki Metropolitan Area faces the largest challenges. In addition, Eastern and Northern Finland, as well as affluent areas, suffer from such challenges. Teachers in larger cities viewed staff turnover and missing qualifications as particularly problematic.