Mayor of Helsinki Juhana Vartiainen (NCP) has set up a coordination group tasked with reviewing and responding to the ever-worsening staff shortage problem in early childhood education centres across the capital.
Helsinki daycare centres have faced a shortage of qualified workers for years, but the situation has become particularly acute in recent months. Tabloid Iltalehti reported in January that employees in other city departments were being transferred to early childhood education to cope with the chronic staff shortage.
The city said on Tuesday that the newly-established coordination group will aim to map out and implement concrete measures that can be used to solve the staff shortage issue in both the short term and the longer term.
The group will also assess the need for nationwide changes, the scale of the solutions, the cost estimate and the proposed timetable for implementation. The city has further recommended that the group cooperate with university researchers and other specialists in the field, as well as hearing the views of early childhood education staff.
"The situation in early childhood education urgently needs our attention," Vartiainen said in the press release. "Without concrete, sustainable measures as well as strong cooperation with the state, we will not be able to reverse this shortage of personnel."
In the city's 2021-25 strategy, the issue of staff shortages at daycare centres is listed as a key objective, with the city committing to "prepare measures to improve staff availability and begin implementation of these new measures during the council term".
"Quality early childhood education is a right for every child. At the same time, every employee must have the right to experience well-being at work," Vartiainen added.
The coordination group will be headed by Helsinki Deputy Mayor Nasima Razmyar (SDP) and will report to Vartiainen at least four times a year.