Childcare & Education Expo: 'What's My Why?' Wall
Report on the ‘What’s My Why? Wall’ at Childcare & Education Expo London 2024
In March 2024, Childcare & Education Expo London, a leading trade show for early education professionals, unveiled a new feature: the 'What’s My Why? Wall'.
The feature was developed following a discussion with the event's advisory board, where sector leaders highlighted a critical issue: the need to keep people inspired and motivated to either join the sector or stay in it rather than moving to other industries. With the sector currently facing a recruitment crisis, the feature was designed to remind professionals of the rewarding aspects of their work, which would hopefully encourage retention. Eventually, the findings could be used to ignite marketing campaigns that support the sector in finding new talent.
Why did we do this?
1. Inspiration and motivation: To remind professionals why they chose a career in early education and to reignite their passion.
2. Community building: To create a sense of belonging and shared purpose.
3. Retention and recruitment: To address the recruitment crisis by reinforcing the value and impact of early education careers.
4. Awareness and advocacy: To highlight the reasons behind choosing a career in early education, pushing for better support and recognition for the sector.
What key themes did we find?
To ensure the wall was visually appealing, two local art students were invited to create a mural allowing visitors to input their responses within a wider design. The design displayed two children playing, each holding balloons forming areas where visitors could write.
The responses showcased an inspiring thread of dedication, support and a desire to make a difference. Some of the common themes found were:
1. Making a difference: shaping lives and inspiring future generations
2. Love for children: joy and fulfilment derived from working with children
3. Support and safety: providing safe, nurturing and supportive environments
4. Inspiration and empowerment: empowering children to be confident and creative
5. Community and belonging: creating communities where children and educators have a sense of belonging
6. Awareness of SEND and diversity: supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and promoting diversity and cultural awareness
Breakdown of Reasons
Across these themes, we identified the key areas into which the responses can be categorised. Below is each theme, along with example quotes taken directly from the wall:
1. Educational Impact:
• "To shape and inspire minds."
• "To make a difference in every child's life and to be their trusted safe person."
• "To inspire the next generation of students."
2. Emotional and Social Development:
• "To let children find their confidence in themselves."
• "To support children with SEND get the support they need."
• "To provide a safe space."
3. Personal Fulfilment:
• "Because children are awesome!"
• "I love working with children and families."
• "To create fun while having fun."
4. Community and Future Generations:
• "To nurture and build the future generation who will be caretakers of the planet."
• "To support our youngest learners to be the very best version of themselves."
• "To shape little minds in a loving environment."
5. Awareness and Advocacy:
• "To support SEND.”
• "To cultivate a love of heritage, culture and language."
• "To promote children's well-being to ensure they have the best start in life."
Future Ideas
The insights gathered from the 'What’s My Why? Wall' can be leveraged to:
1. Boost Morale: Share these inspirational stories within the community to remind professionals of their impact.
2. Recruitment Campaigns: Highlight the key motivations for working in the sector to attract more workers.
3. Sector Advocacy: Use these testimonials to advocate for better support and recognition for early education professionals.
Conclusion
The 'What’s My Why? Wall' at the Childcare & Education Expo London 2024 was a resounding success, providing a platform for early education professionals to share their motivations and reaffirm their commitment to the sector. By highlighting the diverse range of reasons for working in early education, this initiative has helped inspire current professionals and can serve as a powerful tool for future advocacy and recruitment.
To find out more about Childcare & Education Expo, visit our website.
To book your FREE ticket to Childcare & Education Expo Midlands taking place on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th September 2024, click here.
Please note, the information in this article is provided by Broadway Events and does not represent the views or opinions of Morton Michel.